4.28.2013

The Post About 5 Lies We Believe About Extroverts

I'm an extrovert. Let me pause here while you process that NEW INFORMATION.

According to The Myers & Briggs Foundation this plays out as follows:
Extraversion (E): Getting your energy from active involvement in events and having a lot of different activities. Being excited by being around people and liking to energize other people. Understanding a problem better when talking out loud about it and hearing what others have to say.
All of the above.

I've never considered the other side of the room any less than though. I have introverted friends who I like and who seem to like me. The differences tend to be "...they get their energy from dealing with ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions inside their heads. They often prefer doing things alone or with one or two people they feel comfortable with."

I've made a concerted effort to learn about being me and how to help those who are not me not despise their time with me. I've done that by reading some great resources:
I now consider myself a worker on the Underground Railroad for Introverts at parties. I can navigate you through any overwhelming social scenario with comfort and ease. And I usually have candy in my purse.

This olive branch notwithstanding, I have always believed being extroverted wasn't a bad thing. That was until I wandered into the Internet wilderness. Suddenly I found myself the target of those who find "my kind" to be more than a bit disappointing.

I polled Facebook fans and Twitter followers and asked "What’s the first thing you think when I type 'extrovert?'"

I thought the kind answer was this:

But the majority of responses were what scientific research professionals would call "icky."

Loud, uncomfortable, tiring, hates to be alone, acts without thinking, likes attention, crazy, too much, jerk, outspoken, tireless chatterbox, and the most popular: not me.


Please give me a second while I eat this Snickers.


That's better. Let me address a few of the misleading characterizations.

1. Extroverts Are Loud: I'm not saying my sound isn't impressive, but the implication doesn't seem to be volume but rather noise. It's as if an extrovert's content isn't valuable just because it may seem less thoughtful or quieter in comparison. And YOU GUYS...I talk about Cheez-its and shoes, so there's that.

2. Extroverts Love To Meet People: Again, the assumption is I don't experience social anxiety. I get embarrassed. I feel insecure. I'm not immune to the nervousness that comes with walking into that ballroom or sanctuary or networking meeting. I like to be WITH people, but meeting them is often preceded by uneasiness.

3. Extroverts Are Mean: Eek. There are definitely unkind people in the world. However, that's less about being extroverted and more about being a douche-canoe who coincidentally may be extroverted.

4. Extroverts Can't Be Alone: That's like saying introverts can't be WITH people which is poppycock. It may take me a bit more time to reach my fill of people but I always do. You'll know I'm in need of some solitude when you find me hiding in the ladies' room.

Rabbit Sidebar: I'm bringing "poppycock" back, so get on board.

5. Extroverts Hate Introverts: I'm not sure why we're being pitted against one another because we shouldn't be at war. I know it's my job to be sensitive to those who navigate the world differently than me. But it's your job too. Let's reject the either-or.

I promise not to try and fill every moment of silence, if you promise not to just stare at me with a furrowed brow.

So what lies did I leave out? What lies are folks spreading about introverts? 

And remember, extroverts and introverts both have feelers. Don't hurt them in the comments.

4.26.2013

The Post About Content Creator's Commentary

Here are a few additional thoughts on some Instagram photos and Tweets I posted this week.


My neighbor adores animals and works at a rescue mission for orphaned pets. This is her foster child, Gertrude. Gertie tends to wander into my yard and scare the crap out of me every morning. There's really no better way to jump start your day. Unless it's with actual bacon.

What's a must-have or must-do in the AM?


When I visited the orthopedic specialist after my car accident, he asked me if I had sprained my ankle in the past 6 months. As you know, I had. The story I told him may not have matched the one I told you in November. However, if you are needing some of your own tear-a-tendon tracks, might I suggest my Spotify "Clean The House" playlist.

What song motivates your moving?


If you're like me, then you're searching for internet goodness every time the clock ticks. In one day, this was my search history on my phone. Let me explain this mess:
  • Chris Hemsworth is in a new trailer for the next Thor movie. He's pretty.
  • I have hydrangeas in my yard that I'd like to be purple instead of blue.You can make that happen.
  • A PMS color chart may not be what you hope it is.
  • The flight time from Atlanta to London is 9 hours. I'm confident my ADD can manage that.
  • The good news is that healing a broken foot faster includes cheese and ice cream. Legit.
  • I'm still not sure how to boil an egg. Or why you would do it.
What's the oddest thing you've searched for this week?


SO MANY people are spelling it "woah." I don't know who led these folks down this slippery slope but it's also prompted them to spell "yeah" as "yea" and "fo sho" as "for sure." Let's get it right friends.

What word do you see misused the most?


Friday, right? Yes.

You should answer at least one of the above embedded questions. Yes, you.

4.24.2013

The Post About A Naked Drunk Driver: The B Side


I had a car accident 3 weeks ago and I shared a little bit of the fantastic that resulted from it. However, questions keep coming so I thought I might provide a few of the other details that served to entertain.

When my wreck occurred, I immediately thought "Cars always blow up in movies." This prompted me to immediately exit and get out tha way. Thankfully, I only had enough fuel to go seven more miles because I'm a planner like that.

When I looked up, the other driver was also hopping out of his totaled car. The difference was he was intoxicated. Also, he wasn't wearing a shirt, pants, or shoes. He fled by foot in his red plaid boxers yelling "Sorry Lady." I appreciate him admitting fault at the scene and acknowledging my classiness. I do not appreciate him stealing that truck and making it difficult for the police to find him.

You know how awesome cell phones are? Me too. Which is why I just kept repeating "I need my cell phone" to all the neighbors and other drivers who kept trying to help me. This codependency is part Words With Friends and part not knowing anyone's telephone numbers so you can call them and tell them about the naked guy who just hit you.

My friend Patrick arrived on the scene to help me find that cell phone and take me to the hospital. Soon, I learned Patrick had taken an Ambien, didn't have his glasses and forgot his license. The hospital staff suspected we were an unusual case when they entered our ER room and found me in the chair and Patrick on the bed.
There has been nothing but kindness since my accident. Cards, gifts, visits, take-out and hugs from real-life family, friends, coworkers, and you. The last is my favorite. I adore that we can come to care about people we may only know through a screen.

Never assume online friendships are less valuable. I don't.

Here's the wisdom of one such online friend who has since turned out to be all kinds of real-life.
 
 True story.

4.14.2013

The Post About The Rabbit Recommends v.119

Each week or so I post things of which I'm fond. You can choose what happens after my recommendation. Ignore, embrace, debate. Earlier volumes of The Rabbit Recommends can be found here.

Hopefully you caught this gem earlier in the week when the family was ALL OVER the Internet and TV. But if not, enjoy the photo blog Reasons My Son Is Crying which has one dad adorably documenting the "logical" reasons a child cries. The three pics above are captioned as follows (l to r):
  • I wouldn’t let him eat mud.
  • I wouldn’t let him drink bath water.
  • He took his socks and shoes off. His feet are now cold.  
P.S. There's also the spinoff Reasons My Talk Show Host Is Crying featuring Conan O'Brien.

YOU GUYS. Sports Balls Replaced With Cats. I love the Internet.

Should I Text Him? Flowchart
Should I Text Him? Flowchart infographic which I should use more often. Hi, I'm single. 


How Animals Eat Their Food. These are the types of guys I would be friends with in real life. If that tells you anything about me.

On April 6, the 27-year-old son of pastor and author Rick Warren committed suicide. That sentence alone is a tragedy...for any family. However, the resulting backlash against the Warren family from those who consider Christ their Lord as well was disheartening. Author Beth Moore addressed it in a blog post this week titled Sadness and Madness.
Life is hard enough without hatefulness rife in the Body of Christ. We are called to carry one another’s burdens, not pile relentlessly on top of them. We can still hold one another accountable. We can still ask questions. We can still disagree. But we can do it with respect. I’m sick of the bullying. The mud-slinging and the meanness. I’m sick of careless, idle words thrown out there in the public square and professing believers in Christ standing on the necks of their own brothers and sisters to sound smart and superior. As if it’s not enough that we are surrounded in this culture by Christian haters, we’ve got to have our own hater-Christians. It’s insane.
Tweets I Starred









What have you consumed this week that you loved?

4.10.2013

The Post About 5 Lessons Learned at my First 5K

What a pretty place, right?

Sloss Furnaces is a historic landmark in Birmingham that operated as a pig iron-producing blast furnace from 1882 to 1971.

But that's not why we're here.

We're here because I ran my first 5K at this site 2 weeks ago.

Let's review what I learned while running the Rumpshaker 2013.

1. Running is early. I love the sun on the horizon, but did you realize it hits that beautiful spot in the late afternoon? Let's look at it then.

2. Running is expensive. Maybe not for everyone, but I need the neon shoes and tank and shorts and hair tie and iPhone armband and pom pom socks. Plus, I need the extra data for downloading the perfect running playlist from Spotify. I have a mortgage and handbag problem, so no more financial commitments.

3. Running is hard. On your hips, on your knees, on your skin, on your hair. I visited my hairdresser the night before this event and I was desperate to slow it down to save the greatness of my salon blowout.

4. Running can make you fat. After the finish line, I tackled that bagel like it was Matt Damon asking me to marry him. Then, my friends and I justified 2nd breakfast which came in as pancakes and bacon. Note, the 5K only burned 300 calories. THAT'S 1.5 REESE'S EGGS YOU GUYS.   


5. Running can be for a great cause. This 5K promoted awareness about colorectal cancer and raised funds to fight it. My best friend's dad is a colon cancer survivor and my dear coworker Elaine died from it in 2012. It was an honor to run on their behalf.

And keep that blowout looking good.

Pros and Cons of Running? Go.

4.07.2013

The Post About The Rabbit Recommends v.118

Each week or so I post things of which I'm fond. You can choose what happens after my recommendation. Ignore, embrace, debate. Earlier volumes of The Rabbit Recommends can be found here.

Do you ever feel less-than compared to the rich and famous? Well, we can't always sit around waiting for their mug shots, so artist Danny Evans has provided his support by photoshopping celebrities to look like ordinary people. I went to high school with his version of Brangelina. I WAS his version of Miley Cyrus.


I'm an Amy Poehler fan. When she hosted the Golden Globes with Tina Fey, I wanted her to host my life. When she separated from Will Arnett, I wanted to send her an Edible Arrangement. When she launched a video series "Ask Amy," I wanted to hire her as my therapist. I've been needing some bravery this week as I start and want to start embarking on some newness in my life. Amy's advice is "do it and see what happens." That's a good word.

My friend Katherine is ridiculous. She is funny. Quite funny. And you can read her blog Grass Stains or follow her on Twitter and get access to that ridiculous goodness. Please start at her ongoing series Uncomfortable Truths. That adjective is appropriate. Your second stop should be "I Don't Think I'm Cut Out For Facebook." It's a powerful post prompted by the death of a friend and the ongoing debate about legalizing gay marriage.


Easter 2013 - Death to Life from Church of the Highlands on Vimeo.
I mentioned in my last post that I ugly cried twice during Easter services at my church. This 9-minute video initiated the second incident.

Psalm 40:2 "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."

Tweets I Starred






What do you recommend for me this week?

Especially since I'm laid up with no car and bum limbs and pain meds....

4.05.2013

The Post About A Fantastic Weekend Ending In An ER

This Easter weekend was fantastic. Let me bullet point it for you.
  • I spent Friday night with one of my favorite people who also happens to color and blow out my hair.
  • I ran my first 5K on Saturday morning which included hills and maneuvering through a blow-up colon.
  • I ate pancakes. Twice.
  • I attended services at my church on Saturday night and Sunday morning which made me ugly cry. Twice.
  • I wasted Sunday afternoon with my whole family and we ate cake pops and breakfast casseroles.
  • I went to a Walking Dead Finale Party on Sunday night and we lamented the episode drought before us while eating more cake pops.

To cap it all off, I spent the final hours of Sunday night in the ER after being hit by a drunk driver.


Still, fantastic.

I didn't feel the fantastic part at the moment. Not at the moment the driver barreled through that stop sign. Not at the moment my seat belt and air bag blocked me from the windshield. Not at the moment I crawled out of my car smelling gas and smoke. Not at the moment the drunken man abandoned his truck in no shirt or pants or shoes and started running down the road.

Well, maybe that part was a bit fantastical.

The fantastic has risen to the surface at such odd times. When the CAT scan radiographer shared how much she struggles with missing her dad who was killed by a drunk driver. When my neighbor offered to help me while in tears because she's still grieving the loss of her roommate from a deadly car accident. When I found myself sharing my faith on the phone with an insurance claims staffer who asked me if I really believe in miracles.

I have a totaled car. I have a bruised body. I have broken bones.

I have generous friends. I have a loving family. I have more days ahead.

Fantastic.
 
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