Self Portrait Series :: 4

I am an exceptionally good listener. Very rarely do I feel the desperate need to enthusiastically contribute to a conversation. Instead I contribute by listening; really, truly, honestly listening. I have been this way for as long as I can remember. Yes, some call it being shy. Some call it being anti-social. Some even mistake it for disinterested courtesy. I don't think of it that way at all. To me, the words people say, they are important. The words they say are full of the stories they want to share, or maybe don't really want to share, but they can't help themselves. Once they start talking it all starts flooding out. Those words, they deserve a good listener, and that is exactly what I am. 

The other night I went to a GNO to decorate eggs. I introduced myself to the party host and the others who had already arrived. We made a little small talk about how nice it was to get out and away from kids for a while, how fun it would be to die eggs the way we wanted to without little hands ruining our masterpieces. Then, I went and found a chair and some work space. After that I proceed to dye my eggs and thoroughly enjoy listening to the buzz of conversations around me. It was so fun to listen to these girls chat about kids, marriage, work, crafting, and life. I came to admire them. I came to relate with them. I came to really, like each and every one of them. 

Don't get me wrong, I am not the silent shadow always sulking in the corner, never making a peep. I chime in here and there, keeping some conversation going. I can chat when pressed. When needed I can tell jokes, gesticulate with my hands, and spout epic tales of dirty diaper drama. I can do these things, but I much prefer to simply listen. I am a listener. It is a talent, a gift. That is simply who I am, and I like it. So if you ever need a listening ear, someone to sit quietly and not judge or say a word, then I am the girl for you. If you need someone to tell you what to do or give you a passionate opinion, then I can be that girl on occasion too, but not near as often.