A Used-Up Introvert

I'm wired as almost pure introvert.  There's a bit of a misconception that introverts don't like people. We do like people just fine, it's just that a) we're more comfortable dealing with people one at a time as opposed to groups and b) we're drained by people time and recharged by alone time, as opposed to extroverts who are the other way around.

This is one of the reasons people sometimes don't believe I'm an introvert; they have a misconception of what introversion is.  I can look like an extrovert, and I have a copious amount of people skills.  But I'm an introvert.  (Also, it's more like degrees of introversion versus extroversion rather than two distinct categories, but I'm WAY to the "intro" side of the scale.)

I came home the other night having been interacting with people at work literally the entire day.  Other than a couple of brief bathroom stops I hadn't had a moment to myself.  I'm not complaining; that's my job and it was an unusual and interesting day.  But I get home and one, I was extremely hungry, and two, I was absolutely peopled out.

And Adored Wife was making supper (which I appreciate) but it wouldn't be ready for awhile, PLUS she'd had a difficult day and Graphics Magician had a difficult day and they needed my attention.   That's fine, I love my wife and son and when they need me I want to be there for them.  But I paid a price for it.  What I really could have used, I think, was to inhale a couple of sandwiches and then be by myself for about half an hour.  What I got instead was deep interaction, which under normal circumstances I not only don't mind but I look forward to.  But I was used-up and hungry and getting more and more stressed by the moment.

It was kind of weird.  I could FEEL myself withdrawing and going into automatic pilot; I was having to force myself to be civil and engaged.  We ate about half an hour after I got home and I didn't enjoy it, which is a shame because Adored Wife had worked hard on it and I'm sure it was delicious.  By the time we got to it I was ravenous and not really up to people (even my family) and I think I tasted every third bite.  After that I explained that I loved everybody and that I wasn't upset but that I had to get some alone time.

And I left the house to get out to the library.  Twenty minutes in the library, and I was fine.  I was feeling great, my brain was working, and I went home and spent a very pleasant rest of the evening with my family.

Hi, my name is Henry, and I'm introvert.  Sometimes I need some "me" time.

Hope all's well out there, friends, and God bless.