Saturday, April 28, 2012

Yep, that's me. Sarah the introvert

While I'm not a big fan of stereotypes, I do think there is a bit to be said for personality typing using a test like the Myers-Briggs test. Because, most of the time, it is right, no matter how you hate it. It also makes you think critically about yourself and who you are and think you are. In my case, this is a good thing.

This morning in Anatomy and Physiology, Dr. Harms, our professor, announced the specifics of the extra credit opportunity he had promised on Wednesday. The school of Science's Symposium was today, so to get 10 points of extra credit, we had to sit through two talks (and write brief notes) and could visit up to six posters (again with the notes). Since I'm hoping to get an A in A&P, I decided, why not? I ate lunch quickly, played a bit of piano, and then hurried over to the science building.

The "lectures" were okay. I sat through them though, and got the information I needed. 40 minutes and 2 sections of notes, finished. Then I went down the hall to where the nursing students were standing by their posters with the summary of their research.

Many of the posters had extremely interesting material, including one with lots of supporting research towards using controlled hypothermia to help healing of patients after heart attacks. It was also really neat to see my A&P traverse the room with his 9-month-old daughter in his arms. She waved a pen in the air (apparently her daddy doesn't let her have them that often, hehe), showed off her two little teeth, and obliged me with some cute noises. ^_^ (I just about asked if I could hold her, but I had my notebook in hand and figured that she might not take too well to me holding her when both of her parents were in sight.) And Dr. Harms carried little Marian off to listen to another group explain their findings, and I was off to finish up my notes.

Finally, I finished what I needed to do and went upstairs to the thankfully quiet biology lounge. I wanted to work on a paper due Tuesday, but the battery on my laptop was nearly dead. Also, in the quiet, I realized just how tired I was. I curled up on one of the couches and took a 30 minute nap before realizing that my dorm was not all that far away, with a much comfier bed.

As I tiredly walked back to my room, I, being the analytical nursing student I am, thought about reasons why I was so tired. After all, two and a half weeks ago, the reason for my exhaustion was due to iron-deficient anemia. I came up with three theories. I could be tired from (1) sitting through 40 minutes of lecture about pancreatic cells and receptors and hormones involved with cancer (2) taking notes standing up in a warm room, or (3) standing taking notes in a warm room with a crowd.

I think it was the crowd.

Yes, my dear readers, I am an introvert, in case you did not know. I got back to my dorm room to find three of me and Brittney's pseudo-roommates (girls who pretty much live in our room except when sleeping) and really wanted to just send everyone away. I was zapped.

Once I got a bit of my energy back (notice I did not say that I was completely rested... that's not going to happen until I sleep in a dark room for eight hours and then spend time reading my Bible), I talked with my roommate and pseudo-roommates about personality types. I read Brittney the blurb about hers from Wikipedia and Keirsey, and she was blown away. It described her almost to a dime. Then I read the other girls' blurbs, and then Brittney's boyfriend's, and then, lastly, mine.

The best part was when I found, on this other site, what kinds of things you should expect from roommates of certain types. I checked it out. Of course, Brittney's was right on. And mine? Hehe.

"'Counselors' can become very close to their roommates, but they also need some private time and space. If the roommate bonding is negative, Counselors usually retreat to their own space and remain somewhat aloof."

 I just about died laughing. Why? Because when we were having roommate issues, I would often retreat to my bed. My bunk bed. I was literally aloof. Heh heh. And, of course, Brittney affirmed that was spot-on with me.

So, you may be wondering, why is Sarah spending so much time talking about her being an introvert? Well.... because it's 12:15am at the moment, and I'm weary from the events of today (I'm an introvert, remember, and I spent an hour in a small classroom with a LOT of people), and I have to stay up for another forty-five minutes until I go back to work. That, and...

Even though there are plenty of personality types, everyone is different. I'm different from you, as you are different from someone else. I'm so glad we're different, because life is so much more interesting this way. It makes it a joy to get to know someone different than you.

And God uses our uniqueness just the way we are.

My devotional book, several weeks ago, had a fantastic poem that I wrote down because I liked it so much. (At the moment, I'm having trouble finding the journal I wrote it in. Ahh, being a writer... Needless to say, I'm very thankful I didn't pack my journals yet.) From Streams in the Desert, on January 7, 2012:

"Others may do a greater work,
But you have your part to do;
And no one in all God's family
Can do it as well as you."

^_^ "You're beautiful. You're beautiful. You are made for so much more than all of this. You're beautiful. You are treasured, you are sacred, you are HIS. So you are beautiful." - MercyMe

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