The major thing I learned about me or at least was reinforced … I’m an introvert. I don’t know when it happened exactly. I used to be quite the life of the party. I’d socialized. I’d talked to everyone. I’d even make people laugh! Now? Not so much.
Mommie Daze wrote a great post: Confessions of an Introvert. I love it. I understand it completely. Three days later I’m still processing all that went on at the conference, and thinking “oh I should have introduced myself to her” or “I wish I would have taken pictures myself.” I don’t think I got to meet Mommie Daze (forgive me if I did — brain was fried), but now I wish I had. I would have loved to grab a corner and listen!
On to other great things I learned about me:
- I don’t care about affiliate marketing. I know. I’m strange. But I realized that I write because I want to write. I write this blog mainly for me because my memory sucks and I want to be able to go back and say “oh yeah, I met her” and “remember when?” I don’t care about stats. I don’t care about numbers. I can’t imagine a company coming to me to advertise on this blog — unless it’s Harley Davidson or Coke. I could understand that because I’m going to talk about them all the time anyway
- I lose all track of time. I was bad this weekend and didn’t get in touch with Duck nearly as much as I should have. Nothing to tell him I’m still alive or what I was doing (well, he was probably thankful for missing details of sessions and people I met). But seriously, I don’t think I knew what time it was the whole time there. I’d follow the crowd to one session or the next. I sat talking in the hotel lobby forever Saturday night. I still don’t know what time I went to bed.
- I needed more breaks for me. My buddy Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife went up to her room and ordered room service Saturday. That’s exactly what I should have done. She had some quiet time to recharge and she didn’t get any dirty looks for going through the food line early. Ok, yes. I was one of the ladies who did — I am not a pig, but I need to eat when I need to eat. The sessions were all running late and I was shaking — literally. I thought I might pass out. So I jumped in and got me some food before the masses came. I wish I would have went to my room more for breaks though.
- I need to exercise my voice more every day. See all the conversations I have on any given day are through email, Twitter and blog comments. I lost my voice Friday afternoon but that didn’t stop me from trying to talk the rest of the weekend. I am, though, just now getting my voice back.
- I will stop feeling like an idiot for bringing my own sheets and pillows with me. See, I have terrible allergies — and I had a major outbreak right before I left to go to BlissDom. I’m allergic to everything — grasses, trees, dust, animals (yes, we have dogs), some laundry detergents, you name it. I’m allergic to it. I’m on 2 prescription medications daily and when the allergies overwhelm those, I hit the Benadryl. Hey, another sponsor idea … oh wait, I’m getting distracted. Anyway, I will not feel bad about packing a much larger suitcase than normal to bring all that stuff with me.
- I’m easily distracted. See the point before? Well, with all the great panels and everything going on, it was easy for me to say “oh I can do that.” But when I really stop and think about it, I don’t need to do *that* necessarily. Either it isn’t me, or it doesn’t fit with what I want to do.
- I tried to make myself talk to people when I really just wanted to crawl under the couch and hide. I did meet a few ladies this way, but then there were some that I really was too afraid to introduce myself to — Barbara Jones comes to mind. I mean she was one of the head honchos in charge and I just didn’t feel like I was important enough to make myself known to her.
- I cannot listen to audio books while driving a long way after a weekend where my brain has been fried — even after I authorized my stupid computer to play the audio books I downloaded. Know what else? The people who put up rest areas spaced them perfectly. I also learned that 8 hours is a long, long way to drive. Next time I’ll fly.
- I learned I’m not the only one. I had a few conversations with a couple of very awesome ladies and realized I am not the only one who was getting overwhelmed. I am not the only one who struggled with the baby stage. I am not the only one with a daughter who’s hard headed.
- The last thing I’ll add to this list is I learned my voice needs to be out there. Possibly the absolute sweetest, nicest thing said to me all weekend was by Amber at The Run Amuck. We were eating breakfast on Sunday and I admitted that I struggled when Doodle was a baby — and the bad thing was I never told anyone. Somehow I also admitted to her that I had so badly wanted to write a letter to her for The Mother Letter Project, but I just didn’t do it — whether I was scared to or just didn’t make the time, or just didn’t make the time because I was scared to — I didn’t. She looked me dead in the eyes and said, “your voice needs to be out there.” She was so sincere in that and it made me realize (yet again) that I blog because I want to get my voice out there. If only 1 person is blessed by what they read here, that’s awesome! Because then that 1 person will know they are not alone.
So that’s my wrap about What I learned about myself. Check out others who have linked up to Jo-Lynne at What I learned this week {at Blissdom}.
Back to the BlissDom recap list and oh no, I’m no where near done writing about the weekend. I told you I was overwhelmed!
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Did I already tell you this? I love you.
Um, with all my heart, I’m begging … please still write me that letter. Please! We’re still taking them and for a good cause, and it’s true, too many of us are silent when we need to yelp out the most.
I’m near yelping right now, as a matter of fact.
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Hi there…linking over from Jo-Lynne’s site.
Reading all the Blissdom recaps have made me wish I could have gone!
One of the things I have loved about blogging over the years is the freedom to say the things I might not say face to face (like your confession on the often not-so-easy stage of early motherhood!). IT helped me to understand that 100 people were feeling the same thing, and it was OK!
It reminds me of John 8:32 – Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
When we express the “truth” in our lives it often free us up…but has the added bonus of giving others the chance for freedom too!
Keep writing!
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You are so wonderful and love that I was able to meet you this weekend. Thank you for the much needed head.
Two things were reinforced for me this week, too:
1. Total introvert.
2. I blog to write and I love that about my blog.
And next time, I’m going to order room service, too.
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Well unfortunately I wasn’t at Blissdom, but after everything I’ve heard I sure wish I was. Although it would have been a huge effort on the part of this introvert to survive that! Maybe I’ll be brave enough next year. Thanks for the mention and very nice words.
Oh, besides being a major extrovert my son is, like your daughter, hard-headed. What a combination! Some days, sigh…
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I think you are on to something with that voice exercising idea. My main forms of conversations are also via email, texting, etc and when I use my voice for any long period of time; say an hour on the phone I lose it… it’s either the allergies or the saying “if you don’t use it you lose it” applies to voices.
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Another introvert saying “nice to meet you” after the crowd leaves.
It’s not that being an introvert means you’re shy–I both enjoyed and worked hard at introducing myself to people.
It’s just that where an extrovert is charged by all the people and activity, we are drained afterward.
Even though I don’t think we met, I heard so many people speak highly of your Wordpress expertise.
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YOU are awesome and Amber is right. Your voice should be heard.
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All of us talked for 4 days straight. Like straight. And I thought I would die for lack of time alone. DIE. I couldn’t wait to get home and pull the covers up in the silence.
I was glad to get to know you better.
Thank you for your help. More…thank you for this post. I loved it.
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You were a great roomie and I enjoyed getting to know you better. I didn’t think anything odd about you bringing your own bedding. I take my pillow sometimes, and I used to work at conferences with a lady who wouldn’t get anywhere near hotel bedspreads. If we had known how freaky strange that hotel would be, I’m sure everyone would have been packing Lysol, too!
I’m glad your voice is returning!
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Great post. sorry I didn’t get to meet you. I will say by Day #2, I was wiped. I lost my voice and was just worn out from all the excitement. I don’t get out much so all the socializing was overwhelming.
I was getting shaky from hunger too! Def not enough food for me!
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Again, I can totally relate. If I had allergies I would so have been bringing my own sheets. I wish I could have brought my own bathtub so I could take a bath.
I’m pretty sure everyone realized about me that I am much better on line than in person.
Great post–you are so insightful!
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