My old pal Marshall Jones called me the other day to catch up.
He used to work at the same newspaper I did years ago, before moving on to follow his dreams and write his first book.
“I know how you like to get out and network,” he said.
“I’d like to invite you to something.”
Clearly it had been awhile since we last spoke because I wasn’t quite the social butterfly he remembered.
“I don’t get out much,” I said to his surprise.
“I wake up and go straight to my computer and hang out at home most of the time. I’m in anti-social creation mode.”
A writer himself, he completely understood and commented on how we had seemingly switched places since he’s now working in the world of financial investments and socializing on a regular basis.
It’s interesting looking at the different personality traits we adopt depending on the career we’re in or the stage of life we’re at.
Like a turtle poking its head out of its shell briefly and then popping it back in, I’ve been doing that most of my life dating back to high school when I was painfully shy.
Even in more recent years this trend continues.
When I was working in sales I was forced out of my comfort zone and became more social, when I was a new mother and running a family daycare I considered myself anti-social and when I returned to sales I became social again.
And then along came writing and back in my shell I went.
Since my chat with Marshall I’ve been to two well-attended events; the women’s financial seminar that he invited me to and a mutual friend’s 50th birthday party.
When I saw him at the party he asked me how I enjoyed the seminar.
“I fell asleep,” I admitted.
Seeing the look of shock on his face I quickly explained.
“It’s not that I was bored, it was interesting. It’s just that I always fall asleep when I’m sitting still watching something and doing nothing.
“I took a big cookie in with me… but I couldn’t make it last forever.”
He looked at me like I was a nut.
I didn’t fall asleep at the birthday party, thank goodness.
But I would have to confess to being a wallflower at best, staying in the same spot all night, only talking to people in my vicinity.
What happened to that woman who used to “work the room” and chat with everyone?
I guess she’ll stick her head out again when it feels right and it’s good for business.
In the meantime, being a narcoleptic turtle’s not so bad.
At least I’m getting some work done and resting up for when I need to become a social butterfly again.
Lori Welbourne is a Black Press columnist, for more on Lori, www.onabrighternote.ca.