The Introvert Cafe

I leave the building during my lunch hour. We each have our own offices so I could stay put, but since I am in front of my desk 8 hours a day as it is, I feel compelled to get-the-F-out for that one hour.

Problem is... where to go? Most days I do errands or grocery shopping. I can get a lot done in 45 minutes or so and it saves me from having to do a big shopping trip on the weekends. But what if there's no shopping to be done? Or I'm just plain too wiped out to do anything but stare into space?

I escape to my quiet place.

There's a little parking lot just down the hill and around the corner from my office. It's not attached to a building so there's not a lot of foot traffic. There are lots of trees overhanging the perimeter creating several shady spots on those rare sunny days. Like a little park, only for cars.

I pull in to one of my preferred spots, turn on some tunes, and either make phone calls, eat my lunch, read, nap, or some combination of the above. I can easily spend 55 of my precious 60 minutes there and have just enough time to get back to the office. Sweet.

One day I realized that I wasn't alone -- several of the other cars were occupied by people doing exactly what I was doing. Slowly it dawned on me that only an introvert would think it was a good idea to go sit alone in a parking lot for an hour. I'd found my people!

Yes, I'm coming out: I am an introvert. People who don't know me well are usually surprised to learn that. It took me a while to figure it all out, but from what I understand -- and this is painting with a very broad brush -- extroverts get energized by social interactions while introverts end up drained. That would be me. I can do the social thing, and in the right group I enjoy it, but it costs me. At the end of the night there's nothing left of me.

So there we sit, each in our own little metal cocoon, enjoying the non-camaraderie. That's lunchtime at the Introvert Cafe.

Joke of the Day:
Q: How can you tell an extroverted mathematician?
A: He's the one looking at the other guy's shoes.

As an introvert and former-wanna-be mathematician, I concur.

Want to find out what you are?

• A quick-and-dirty test
  
• The Four Preferences
  
• The 16 Types

It's kinda like astrology, only better 'cause it's true!

(Mr B & I are both INTP. He's pretty much a classic INTP, while I ride the line between T & F and am only slightly more P than J. We enjoy our quiet time.)
:)