Fri. Oct. 5, 2007
My computer now has power (but no internet as I’m back in my room) so I could wax poetic, but must be going soon. This morning I woke up at 9am still tired but managed to get to the Binningen market. Veronika had left me a note and I was able to decipher it and fulfill her requests. The market was cute, and I’ve already posted a picture.
I then make a cucumber salad and headed off to Valda’s to use her internet. After my battery had nearly died I enjoyed her piano. It turns out Veronika has a piano but it hasn’t been tuned in a while. Hopefully we can get it fixed up, but if not, Valda is such a sweetie I’m sure she’ll let me abuse hers. It was rather convenient that the praise songs from the night before were still on the bench, but I lost track of time and went whipping back to the house because I was supposed to make lunch for 12:30 and it was already 12:30! Running up a hill with a computer on my back showed me that no matter how many miles I can run in flat Florida, I’m out of shape. I was relieved to get home first but after throwing together a meal I began to wonder and realized that we were supposed to eat at 1:30 not 12:30! No matter, I took the time to call Mom and Dad.
After lunch Veronika drove me to the Blom’s where we had tea and cookies and I got to see Megan and her mother (Megan is at the Musik Akadamie). That was lovely. Mary was so welcoming and I know these two families will be a special blessing to me. It turns out that Veronika knows the Bloms from her days working at the Bible store. It’s a small world . . .
We put my plethora of stuff in the car and did some shopping before going home. (Happily, my plug adapters were in the lot.) I don’t know how I could ever learn to drive a stick. It looks so difficult! I know, I’m the girl who loves learning new things. I think this new skill will take a special kind of patient teacher, though.
I walked to church for the Friday sing and Mary made a picnic for us this time. It was lovely, and it was lovely to sing with them again. Nils asserted that I was an extravert and it was hard to convince Nils and Mary otherwise. “Look at you, you’re radiating energy right now!” “Yes, being with people takes energy!” Anyway, it is true that I am more relaxed around them and so my excitable nature comes out more often. There are certain types of time with people that give me energy, but truly, in general, I get my energy from being alone. That in no way contradicts that fact that I love being around people, especially those dear to my heart. They gave me such a warm welcome. I can’t wait to see everyone at church!
One funny anecdote and then bed. Veronika taught me the word for leek (lauch) when she showed me her garden. That afternoon we went for a walk and I saw leeks in the field so I thought I’d reinforce the word. It was probably a good thing I tried because I said “Look! Corpses!” She laughed and explained my mistake. I do need to be told things many times because “leiche” doesn’t really sound like “lauch” now, does it?
Another good point to the house: no dishwasher. I get to do something useful! Of course, that didn’t stop me from leaving the dishes undone as I rushed off to the sing tonight . . .
I love that phenomenon. "I'm late! I'm late! I'm late! I—oh, wait—um... Hm. I'm early. (And wouldn't be anywhere near this early if I hadn't thought I was late.)
I really really want to learn to drive stick!
Well I could have taught you how to drive a "stick" if I had known, but learning to drive a standard in flat Florida would be entirely different from your current residence. My car is a "stick" but it doesn't have air conditioning, and I've become conditioned to not having air conditioning. I had to teach myself by the way, like everything else.
I get charged up when I'm around people generally speaking, but I'm usually classified as an introvert and not an extrovert.
I did check to see what you had when you came. If it had been a stick I would have asked for a lesson or two. I'm sure you would have been a good teacher.
Now that's interesting about introvert and extrovert. The definitions at dictionary.com don't seem to line up with my understanding. They say an introvert is shy (which I've trained myself not to be) and thinks about the self more than those around, while an extrovert is social and directs the mind away from the self. I don't see it quite that way. Often the outgoing person is consumed with himself and the attention he is getting from others.
Mom, where did we get the definition of an introvert being charged up by alone time and an extrovert getting charged up by being around people?
Hrm. I wonder where I got that definition, because it was changed at some point in college - I used to think it was more like the dictionary says.
I guess I like the "energy" definitions more, since they seem more useful in describing a person.
I don't remember where I first heard the definition -- though maybe it's less a definition than a description: An extrovert is one whose energy is restored by the presence of other people, while and introvert's energy is restored by solitude. Or something like that. In any case, the point is that is has little to do with shyness or fear of being alone or liking or not liking people. As Jon said, this is a more useful definition, and also I might add less judgemental. I think it really helps to understand that the right prescription for one person who is stressed or depressed might be to get out and be with people, whereas for another it might be to have some time alone -- and that pushing someone toward the wrong one will probably do more harm than good.
But that still doesn't answer the question of where it came from, I know.
