Reflections of the third decade, part IX

Here are some random/shocking things I learned about myself in 2010.

1) I am not a social butterfly. And I’m OK with that. I’ve noticed that I usually bond with one person at a time. During social gatherings, I’ll usually be content having a long, deep conversation with one person rather than chitchatting with everybody. What’s especially fun for me is having a conversation with a group of people that I’ve already had one-on-one bonding with. (That happened frequently when I lived in Waco!) I am not an extrovert, meaning that I do not recharge when I’m around people. I am an introvert, meaning that I recharge when I’m by myself. I’m usually not good company during social gatherings if I haven’t had some introverted recharge time beforehand. What might happen is I’ll float away on the magic carpet of being in my own little world. Polka-dot kitties sing nutcracker-suite lullabies while baking chocolate trains.

2) I can be really obsessive. I can be really obsessive. I can be really obsessive. I can be really obsessive. I can be really obsessive. Which can be a bad thing -- for example, if I’m thinking about something depressing. Or it could be a good thing -- for example, if I’m thinking about God’s truth or if I find out that a friend needs prayer. It’s a trait that can come in handy -- for example, when I’ll put the finishing touches on my novel, polishing up details and tying up loose ends.

3) I’m a much pickier eater than I thought I was. I used to tell people, “I’ll eat anything except a baked potato.” Nope, it’s more complicated than that now. I won’t eat food that’s way too spicy, cooked vegetables that taste bitter (i.e., nopalitos, even with egg and salsa), or food that’s way too sweet. Burritos filled with rice offended my taste buds severely this year. Perhaps the most shocking tidbit that I’ve learned is... I don’t like cake. Insert screaming here. I like to celebrate people’s birthdays, but now I dread the distribution of cake. If I take a piece, I’ll usually kind of eat around the icing. One year, my coworkers were kind enough to fulfill my request to not give me a cake for my birthday, so they gave me a cookie buffet instead. Now, THAT was fun. Maybe next year, I should request angel food cake. That stuff’s pretty good, because it isn’t too sweet and doesn’t require icing. (Just as long as I don’t get a baked potato for my birthday. Insert gagging here.) Uh-oh. Now I’m making myself hungry.

Maybe I should check with the kitties to see if the chocolate trains are ready. Then there’s this spot on my magic carpet that needs to be removed. Please excuse me while I board my rice-powered baked potato car to go to the cleaners. Insert chuckling here.