Written by As my family and I were leaving Target today, I saw a man standing by the exit wearing an Indianapolis Colts jacket and hat. So I jokingly said to him, “Who are you rooting for tomorrow?” He laughed and said, “I’ll give you two guesses!”
We both laughed and my family and I continued out of the store. It was then that my wife said to the kids, “Wow, Dad actually talked to someone!” My son said, “We’ve got to write this down!” My daughter said, “We’ve got to put this in the Dad Book!” They all just laughed and laughed as they made a few more remarks on the way to the car.
Now, it is no secret that I’m an introvert. But is it that obvious? Is the fact that I briefly spoke with a stranger such big news? Perhaps I need to take an honest look at myself to make sure I’m not becoming asocial.
Sheesh!
Sometimes…I am the sameway….Sometimes I talk to everyone!
From one introvert to another…yeah, it’s usually pretty obvious. We just fool ourselves into believing we blend into the woodwork. Have a great week
My two kids remaining in the home are 17 and 15. They’ve learned a lot from past experiences and from their older siblings. Now, when we go out for dinner or the movies or some such thing they usually give me a lecture about not talking to strangers.
It just comes natural to the ole’ Texoklakansan. Now that we live in the stuffy northeast, I often talk to people just so I can watch their reaction.
What’s a guy to do?
Sheesh!!
-bill
I am the same way and really don’t see a whole lot of problem with it. I will do what you did occasionally but not often. If I am standing in line at Wal-Mart and someone talks to me I give them short, curt responses and think to myself “Come on line, move faster!”. Maybe it’s because one time someone did that to me in a Christian Book store and we struck up a conversation and he introduced himself as did I….then later that afternoon he CALLED me and tried to sell me on something!!
What’s funny is that our Dad is just the opposite. I can remember many times him talking away with total strangers.
Bill — My father-in-law is also a minister, and he’s just like you. He’s never met a stranger.
Marty — being a minister, it is hard for me to “blend into the woodwork.” Oh, but I try!
Tim — You’re right about Dad.
If I spend more than thirty seconds taking to someone, my kids laugh and say “look, dad has a friend”.
Sometimes I really try to be more outgoing like just today, I was standing in the line at the bank on my lunch hour and I happen to comment to the man in front of me about the cold temperatures and before it was over, I had to hear his opinion of the President and the war.
The whole time he was taking, I kept thinking, why didn’t I just mind my own business!!!
I know what you meen Jeff, I keep trying to make myself more talkative but I just can’t seem to do it. I try to make myself more emotionally friendly but can’t do it. It is a hard thing to try and be a leader at church when people think you are not friendly enough or rude just because you have a hard time talking and sharing feelings.
Maybe you should get a job as a reg operator at a fast food restaurant.I used to be an introvert and now I can’t tell you how many strange people I talk to on a daily basis. Woops, I meant strangers.