introvert or extrovert?
I’ve always thought of myself as an extrovert. But at Relevant last week, I began to question whether I really was as extroverted as I’d always thought.
I shook hands and gave hugs and traded business cards with the rest. I made small talk with the ladies at my table and even went up to a few strangers at the newbies meet-up the first night. But I quickly reached my “people quotient.”
As dear and neat as every lady I met was, I was overwhelmed at the vast number of women around me. I didn’t want to go out of my way to do more networking. I started reconnecting with the same people. I had to trust that the Lord had led me to the people I was supposed to meet, would connect me with the rest to whom I needed to say hello.
I just smiled as I passed familiar “famous” faces, not wanting to be one more random blogger who said hi to them without already being a loyal blog reader. If I already followed them, already read their blog, already had Tweeted back and forth, it felt more natural. 
But to go up to someone I recognized yet didn’t even read? It just wasn’t me.
And as we sat around the tables, sometimes quiet, I laughed. We all know exactly what to say when faced with a blank screen, a blinking cursor. But in person? We bloggers are perhaps a little more introverted than we realize.
Written for The Extraordinary Ordinary’s Just Write…
I had to chuckle- I too had a similar revelation at relevant. Except mine hit me the minute toes touched tile in the airport lobby waiting for the shuttle and the first stranger came up with the “what’s your name? what’s your blog?” greeting. And I stuttered around looking for words for both. I think I made 2 break out times and about as many main sessions, haunted the coffee lounge and escaped to walk in the snow (I am fairly sure Papa poured out just for me.) For the first time maybe ever I found grace to just be and duck out of the undertow of expectations pulling me out beyond my depths. I TOTALLY resonate with this! Grace to be fully you and fully His!
I get really overwhelmed at conferences, even if I love getting to be with fellow bloggers in person. It’s just so much! And I do think it takes us a little while to adjust to 3-D interaction with each other, for sure 🙂
:-)…… I think you’re just right, hon.
I’m unashamedly an introvert… I love people and love to connect with them. I hope that I am warm and encouraging and friendly. I like almost every person I’ve ever met. That said, I find being with people- especially large crowds of unfamiliar folk- to be colossally exhausting. Still it’s quite wonderful in small well measured doses;-) Next year I hope to know more people before I go!
I have to laugh a little, because I feel the same way! I came over here from Just Write today, and it was a pleasure.