Myers-Briggs

Have you done that test? The one that tells you if you are an introvert or an extrovert, if you like closure or open ended, and if you value thinking over emotion? I've done it half a dozen times or more since I was 19- which was a REALLY long time ago. I don't always get the same score. Well, some things stay the same and some things change. I am always the closure person, solidly, but sometimes I'm a thinker and sometimes I'm a feeler. I think it depends on what's going on in my life at the time I take it, or if I'm taking the test in light of my personal life of professional life. The other thing that has changed back and forth over the years is whether I'm an introvert or extrovert. My mother has a hard time buying the introvert label, but that's because she's never been an unknown quantity to me, nor has she ever seen me in a new situation. I, myself have only been puzzled about why it goes back and forth. I admit, I don't like people, they drain me and make me tired. As my friend Amy says though, "Then I'm glad I'm not people." She's right. I like my friends, my family, and in general my co-workers. People I don't know, not so much. Oddly, this does not prevent me from striking up conversations with people in lines waiting for things. I'm not shy. I'm... I don't know what.

At least I didn't know until two days ago. If you've ever done the Myers-Briggs, you'll know that they define introvert/extrovert as whether you get energized from being with other people or from being alone. I've always observed that the answer in my life is, "Yes." I can get energy from being with people sometimes and other times being alone energizes me. On Friday, while I was swimming laps, which I do because it is by it's nature very much something you do alone, that I get energized by ideas. Sometimes you get ideas when you're in conversation with others and sometime you get ideas when you're alone. That's why I go back and forth; it depends on where the birth of ideas is happening. I decided there needs to be a third category for where your energy comes from, so I made one up. I'm a captovert.

Captovert? I looked up the Latin for "idea," and one of the words it gave was captus. Idea is just one of the meanings of it, the others being -not surprisingly- things like "capture," and "to take hold," or "prisoner." I picked it for my new word though because those are the kinds of ideas that I'm talking about when I say I get my energy from them. (plus, informatio and comprehendo didn't work so well with -vert.) A good idea gives me so much energy that I can even drive for hours in silence if I have a good idea to chew on. It's what I love about swimming laps, all that time to think, and what I love about good conversation, all that thinking out loud.

See!? I was so energized by this new idea, and it's metacognitiveness (after all, ideas about ideas? how energizing is that!?), that I'm all fired up to blog!

One Year Of...

You've seen all those books, right? The ones where people try something out of their comfort zone for a year and then right a book on it and get on Oprah and become quasi celebrities? Some that I've seen are people who buy nothing for a year, buy nothing new for a year, have sex (they were married to each other, don't start with me) every day for a year, be kosher for a year, meet the maker or grower of every product they use for a year, and eat locally for a year. I was thinking of jumping on this bandwagon before it goes off the tracks. If any of you have connections in publishing, here are some of my ideas. Maybe you could help me get a deal on one of them.

Say every little thought that comes into my head out loud for a year. No censoring. I foresee myself being afraid to leave the house after a very short time.

Climb a tree every day for a year.

Blow kisses to rude drivers every day for a year. Smile and waggle fingers at them if they look puzzled. (I considered flip someone the bird every day for a year, but it didn't really meet that criteria of being outside the author's comfort zone. I'm cranky; I could take to this one a little too easily. I tried to stretch myself a little.)

Swim in a different pool or lake or stream or pond every day for a year.

Wear the same outfit for one year, washing allowed, hang out naked while outfit is in laundry; do not line dry in the back yard.

Read/listen/watch zero News for one year.

Play a prank on someone every day for one year.

Something with being snarky... hmmm, there must be something snarky that I could do every day for one year.

Try out a new kind of wine every day for a year. Or a new coffee drink. Or a new kind of ice cream.

That's only 8 ideas; I need more. What've you got?

Ooo wait! I have one more: Leave tongue in cheek for one full year.

Mmmmmm

My friend
Barb
put me on to this blog and I was tired and cranky and avoiding real life today by browsing around on it. I'm so glad I did! It's called
The Rabbit Room
and this excerpt is from a review on it of a children's Bible. I always struggle with finding just the right children's Bible, but this goes way beyond children. It grabbed me and made me want more.

“No, the Bible isn’t a list of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne–everything–to rescue the one he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

You see, the best thing about this Story is–it’s true.

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle–the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.'

Mmmmmmm, I can't make it any better than that.