“We who live in quiet places have the opportunity to become acquainted with ourselves, to think our own thoughts and live our own lives in a way that is not possible for those keeping up with the crowd.”
~ Laura Ingalls Wilder
The other night I talked with a man I knew many years ago when I was still working here in Kamloops. I knew him then as a man of integrity–a gentle man. We talked briefly, over a noisy dinner table, about the turns our lives had taken since we worked together and then our conversation turned to the now.
He spoke of providing childcare for his grandchildren; and regular visits to, and appreciation for, our local library. When he mentioned the book he’s currently reading–Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain–a book I’ve been intending to reread, it dawned on me that he’s one too. An introvert.
I felt validated, in that moment, to understand that this man, successful in his career and a pillar in his family, shared the same appreciation for the quiet life as I do. So often it seems that we who appreciate silence and solitude are few and when I come across another it’s refreshing.
Amidst the cacophony of conversation, struggling against my desire to go home and settle in with my book, I reminded myself that we who are quiet were created with a purpose. We have unique strengths and abilities, just like our extroverted friends do–different, but of equal value. I wish I didn’t need to be reminded of this, but sometimes I do.
And that dinner? I think next year I’ll skip it and stay home with whatever good book I’m reading at the time. And that will be okay.
I’m one of the quiet, introverted tribe and feel so graced by my quiet life. Thank you for sharing thoughts of your own in which I can see myself.
Mary Jo, you are one of the kindest, most graceful, introverts I’m honoured to know. You describe it perfectly: “Graced by my quiet life.”