Why I write

I've always felt I'm good at writing.  Speaking?  Not so much.

I'm an introvert.  A lot of people think introverts don't like other people and hate social situations.  That's not the case.  We just handle them differently than others do.

If you've been around me for any length of time, you've probably figured out that I'm not a talker.  Many of my high school classmates referred to me as the "quiet kid".  In many social situations, I say the bare minimum I need to get by and nothing more.  That doesn't mean I'm stupid.  It doesn't mean I have nothing to say.  That's just how my brain is wired.

In high school and college, I always earned my best grades on writing assignments.  Thankfully, I pursued a major in college - political science - that relied heavily on writing and research and less on public speaking, activities, or experiments that required "doing" things.  My friends often wondered how I became so good with the written word.  For years, I didn't know why myself.  I still don't think I fully understand it.

But I've learned more about my personality type in recent years.  I'm not someone who is good at reacting right away to a situation, and I don't like to be the "life of the party".  When something happens, I need to reflect, to think it through, and find deeper meanings.  Sometimes, I do that to a fault.  But when I sit at my computer and type, I'm able to express myself.  I'm able to get my thoughts on the screen, look at them, organize them, and polish them until I get my point across in the best way possible.

Some folks don't need to do this.  They are comfortable having the spotlight on them or responding right away to a situation in person.  That's not me.  Even when I reflect after a difficult situation and figure out how to respond verbally, I still often don't say what I'm thinking in the right way.  I sometimes use the wrong words or flat out don't get my point across.

I feel like I'm getting better at this.  But I'm never going to be the social butterfly or handler of tough in-person situations that some folks are.  I try to be polite when talking to other people, but I'm not articulate.  I know that.  It's never going to be a strength of mine, so it's important that I focus on where my strengths are.

That's why I write.  It's something I need to do.  It provides an outlet for me to sort through my thoughts.  And thanks to the internet, where anyone with a computer can share their thoughts with everyone instantly, I can express myself to the rest of the world in this way too.

So, if you're ever around me in person and I don't say a lot, don't be offended.  In social situations, I'm more of an observer than a talker.  If you want to know what I think, visit this blog.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I plan on posting more essays in the future.  Please check back, I would really appreciate it!