I am not the kind of person who likes crowds. If you have known me long, you probably find this bit of information shocking. So. Very. Shocking. Truth be told, I do enjoy spending time with others having mutual interests. From playing games at the kitchen table to sharing a meal, I like interacting with good people. I usually feel awkward which, in turns, probably makes me come off as awkward. That bit is tiring. But it is worth it. Even if we only share a brief conversation, every one of the people I meet help to color my world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Networking events are rough, especially when I am going it alone. That said, once I “break through”, they usually aren’t so bad. Just don’t expect this human lampstand to move towards the middle of the room. At a baseball game or music concert, even among thousands of people, I manage to isolate myself by focusing on the field and the few people around me. The less forward I feel I must be to be included, the better off I am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the mouth starts running, it is hard to stop. I grew up in a family that “cross-talks”. A room full of people get together and there are three conversations happening. You have to break in to be included and, well, I was taught not to interrupt. Ironically, if you aren’t taking part in the conversation, some will think you are ignoring them. Here I am just trying not to say something stupid and give your words the respect they deserve. If I am rambling, it means one of two things: We have strong, mutual interests or I’m trying to feel that awkward silence that is best left alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I seem stand-offish at times, it is usually because I don’t know what to say. Or if I should say anything at all. But every one of you that I have met have added something to my life. In this sense, the internet is both a blessing and a curse. Without it, I would not have met some true and fast friends. I likely would never have taken up photography like I have. And picking up the camera is how I have met so many wonderful people. The curse is that I really don’t care for what social media has become, but that’s another story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I do a terrible job of telling people how much I appreciate them. I have met some truly amazing people. You are very likely one of them. I just don’t share well, especially with casual acquaintances. For now, take James Pankow’s lyrics for Colour My World<\/a>* and know that I appreciate you for who you are. I am not the kind of person who likes crowds. If you have known me long, you probably find this…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-important-things","wpcat-60-id"],"yoast_head":"\n
* If you haven’t seen Chicago<\/a> perform live but you enjoy their music, it is a must. Go! Do it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"