Wild Card: Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

Rolled a Two - Insights & a 26 - What is something people think comes naturally to you, but actually, it takes a lot of work?

For those who might not remember - Rachel Martin has a Podcast called “Wild Card” in which she interviews famous people asking random questions. I decided to use the idea as topics for when I really don’t know what to write about. Of course I could write about my cats and end up with a keyboard of gibberish as Issi or Bailey interacts with my keyboard, but that only goes so far. I tend to only catch snippets of these interviews when they show up on NPR while I’m driving somewhere, but still I find them fascinating.

A photo of Bailey, because… cats. Also Issi doesn’t like having his picture taken and is usually hiding under the table.

I found someone had compiled a list of questions that have been used- Thank you Reddit because they haven’t published an actual deck of questions for people to purchase, yet. I took these and using a random number generator start by picking the category, and then the actual question.

Please note this has nothing to do with the Anthology series “Wild Cards” if that were the case I’d probably be a Joker or at best a Deuce if I even got powers.

What is something people think comes naturally to you, but actually, it takes a lot of work?

Interesting question. Especially since I really have a pretty low self esteem and don’t think much about what I can do. I like to draw, and that pretty much comes fairly easily to me if I have the time to actually work on it. My paternal grandmother was an artist and I guess I got some of that talent although I tend to focus more on cartoons than reality. I recall being asked once if I was still drawing cartoons in a tone that made it seem like I was wasting talent or not being serous. I guess one thing that might pop up is some people comment with surprise when I say I’m an introvert*. That I really have difficulty in social situations. It takes a lot out of me to attempt to be social. Sometimes I’ll just hide away in a corner. I will open up when certain subjects come up or if there happens to be that “teachable moment” having been a school teacher for most of my life. Oh, alcohol sometimes helps.

I jokingly have commented that when I have to be social I “embrace my inner Bob.” You see, my father is rather gregarious and an extrovert. With a loud booming voice he has a presence when he enters a room. This is not something I really want to be, like most kids I would try to hide away while my dad would talk to people. So when I needed to be that way I would work on igniting that portion of me that could be “Bob.” People who see me in this state don’t understand how hard it is and how I just want to retire to a corner and draw. I was recently chatting with him about retirement and his advice was to get involved in something so you meet people… you know that stuff that makes an extrovert happy. While I do like being around people and have pushed myself out of my comfort zone, I’d prefer having more time with my cats, comics, and drawing. By default that is happening more and more.

I’ve analyzed the how and why - I like to remind myself that I like who I am and for the most part the life I live. All these things in the past helped to make me who I am, so unlike wanted to go back in time and step on that butterfly, I’m content with the way things turned out. No need to get out the world’s smallest violin. So I’m not the life of the party- that’s OK. Recently I had to take a “Social Factors” survey before I had my annual physical. I found it amusing that the choices for seeing or talking with friends (and family) were measured during a week, not a month: Never- once a week - two to three times a week - four to five times a week - Decline. Kind of makes you feel weird as an introvert who really doesn’t feel comfortable going out every night or whose friends have lives and we just can’t get our schedules to sync. Then I have to think- does Sue count in this? Maybe I can boost my numbers and look “normal.”

So while I may seem like I’m a social guy (I don’t think I do, but maybe I do) - it does take a lot out me to embrace my inner Bob. Don’t even get me started on using a phone to talk to people. I tell people I don’t want to intrude on their time, if they want to chat, give me a call! Just don’t expect me to call you out of the blue. Let’s just say, If I’ve actually called you - you are in a rare group of people.

So… what about you? Something that people might think comes naturally to you, but actually takes a lot of work?

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* Then again I just saw they’ve recently added “otrovert” to the personality types, because… we need more labels? An otrovert has a lot of different introvert parts but basically tends to be someone who just doesn’t feel they fit in with a group and frankly doesn’t necessarily want to fit in. Looking at some of the bits and bobs that make up this group - it kinda sorta fits some of my personality. Then again, I don’t know if I need another label besides “geek.” Look up otroverts and see what it’s all about, maybe buy the book about otrovertedness so the author can buy something nice for himself. Then again check it out of the library - libraries need our support. I figure by the time I “shed this mortal coil” I will have the labels that describe me change a few more times.