introvert vs. extrovert.
According to Miriam Webster, an introvert is someone who is prone to “concentrate or direct upon oneself.” Alternately, an extrovert is someone who is a “gregarious and unreserved person.”
I tend to look at these two words more in terms of how someone tends to recharge. Biologically, I am an only child. I could play by myself for hours and hours and be happy as can be, and not to see a single person. I liked playing with my friends, but I seemed to work best by myself. I still have the tendency to do the same today. In high school if there was a project, and we were given the option to work in a group or solo, I’d take the solo route. I’m not shy by any means, but I just like being by myself. Based on all of these things, I would call myself an introvert—a person who recharges best by being alone—flying solo.
But starting this summer, a lot of that has changed. As you can see, I deal with some pretty rough things, as do we all. I’ve had a lot of trouble sleeping at night, and I wasn’t quite sure why. I did a concert called Testify: On Tour that would change my life for the better in so many ways. I’ve met people, who I consider some of my closest friends, and my “la famiglia” if you will (aside from my own beautiful family.) Some of us are a little attached to our cell phones and Facebook. So we would talk pretty late at night. And even though it was late when we would say “ttyl” and “good night,” I have found that I slept better than ever before. We would go to various restaurants in the wee hours of the morning after our shows, and we would just laugh, and talk, and laugh some more, and it was so much fun. I would wake up every morning so happy and motivated. And if there was a rehearsal later on in the day, even though I would be tired, I would be so excited to get to that rehearsal to see my friends. So based on all of these things, I would say I’m definitely an extrovert- a person who recharges best by being with others- a social butterfly.
So I guess I’m a tween. I’ll come up with a better name for it later. I don’t really know what it might be. But what I do know is that I’m missing those friends, and seeing them in person. We get to schedule things here and there, but it’s not nearly the same as it was during my best summer ever. Thank goodness for social networking.
