Some thoughts after reading through the posts from the last couple of days. I'm not usually all that shy, but I'm definitely an introvert - and for me one of the best explanations of the difference between introverts and extroverts is that introverts need solitude and quiet time to renew their strength, while extroverts need people and activity to renew their strength (the definition may not work for everyone, but immediately rang true for me).

If I go to something like the Getaway (and I'm hoping it will work out next year!), I occasionally need to step back for 20 minutes or so and wander around looking at scenery or whatever with minimal human interaction, just to recharge my internal batteries.

Of course, leading a song like "Roll the Old Chariot" and riding over the chorus is a mighty powerful feeling, too. But I also need my space now and then.

And the other thing I've learned is that I'm slow to learn names and to match names to faces, and I don't always recognize people if they change their hairdo or put on/take off the hat they've been wearing. So if I had a nice chat with you yesterday, and you come up to me today and I have a momentary blank look while I try to focus on your name badge, it's not that I didn't enjoy the conversation or am trying to avoid you - it's that I was focusing on the conversation and not on what you looked like - so if you're looking a bit different this morning (or no longer wearing the bright blue shirt I latched on to as an internal cue), I might not immediately recognize you.

Some of the folks I work with could tell you what shoes I wore with the blue suit last Wednesday - half the time I couldn't tell you what color outfit the person I spoke to 10 minutes ago was wearing - but I could explain in detail what problem they were having with their computer or what sort of report they needed me to generate!

I'm not suggesting that these are positive traits - I'm quite aware that I function better in social settings when I can remember people's names and faces. But it doesn't come naturally to me, and when I'm meeting too many people all at once, what ability I've developed in that area tends to break down totally.

Having said all that, I think I should also say that I do enjoy the song circles we go to, I've had a wonderful time at the music gatherings we've attended in other parts of the country (and the world), and I've very sure I'll enjoy the Getaway. I love hearing new songs, and getting a chance to meet new people and learn more about them. And I enjoy occasionally sharing a song that I think other people might enjoy, though I'm not a terribly strong singer.

See you next year!
JudyB