For those who take an interest in personality profiling I am, apparently, an introvert.
This does not mean, as one might assume, that I dislike being around other people but simply that, after spending time with others, I appreciate time alone to recharge my batteries. This may explain why I find social networking sites a little overwhelming so there is a strange irony in the fact that a blog should appeal to me as providing an opportunity for some quiet space.
The other apparent trait of my particular "profile" (INFJ- for those familiar with Jung/Myers Briggs Testing) is that my internal thought world is big or, at least, constantly on the go. In fact, apart from being asleep, there aren’t many moments in the day when I am not thinking about something. To some this may sound silly because surely we must all be thinking about something in order to do anything? But, in my case, I am often thinking about something completely different to the activity in which I am engaged.
This could account for my tendency to be easily distracted.
Some would call it “away with the fairies”... but I prefer the term “musing” (for obvious reasons).
The trouble with all that extra thinking going on is that there isn’t always an outlet for it. What I need is somewhere to put it all. Hence another reason for Museum of Life – museum being a place to store stuff - things of interest, at least to me.
CS Lewis once suggested that a thought or sentiment was never really complete until it had been expressed to another. I guess I find myself writing in order to express, or complete what is going on inside. It also completes the process for me because I often find that it's only when I write something down that the thoughts become fully formed. In short, I need to write to think. Maybe I don’t need a blog for that. Maybe my notebook journal should be enough. But I think there is also something about the way we have been made which means that, even for introverts, we need to live in community. Paul Simon was wrong - none of us is truly an island. To share thoughts, emotions, even the most simple of daily experiences is what being human is all about. In this we reflect the character of the One who made us. When my 2 year old son comes bouncing in from the front room window shouting, “vworry, vworry!” (lorry, lorry) he is doing just that. He has seen something which brings him joy and he wants to share it with me.
We love to share our feelings and discoveries with others because we are made to be like God. How often do I stop to think or remember that every tiny detail in our crazy world is a message from Him about Him? So here I am to do just that - to pause a while and to ponder what He might be saying...