"I want to live simply. I want to sit by the window when it rains and read books I'll never be tested on. I want to paint because I want to, not because I've got something to prove. I want to listen to my body; fall asleep when the moon is high and wake up slowly; with no place to rush off to. I want not to be governed by money or clocks or any of the artificial restraints that humanity imposes on itself. I just want to be, boundless and infinite."
Unknown**
Hello! They say "start where you are" so here goes...
Nearly seven years since I posted here. Time flies. And a lot has happened since then. Mostly good, but also some lessons learned along the way.
This blog was formerly called "Alice's Wonderful Life" (sort of a play on words with the Alice in Wonderland thing - so original, sigh). It had bright background colors and chipper-sounding content for the most part. But that's not me. And things are not always wonderful. And I prefer basic colors like black, gray, and white. Now I'm calling this blog The Elusive Introvert because, well, I'm an introvert - I have no problem admitting and owning it. And I can be elusive... I have a tendency to run in the opposite direction to avoid speaking to people I might encounter in a store (unless I really, really, REALLY like the person). To put my introvertedness in perspective, whenever I've done personality tests for team-building at work, in a line-up I've often been found standing all by myself at the extreme end of the introvert spectrum. Also, it's music to my ears when a get-together gets canceled and I can instead stay home with a good book or take a long, quiet drive to my favorite countryside. Don't misunderstand, I do like people, but I'm much happier doing my own thing.
It's November and fall is always such a time of renewal for my soul. Although I enjoy the four seasons and by no means do I like to "wish the time away", I happily bid farewell to the hot and humid summer weather and welcome the crisp autumn air, the turning leaves, the cooler weather - what better time than now to re-new a blog, right?
So, what should I write about first? Well, I guess the most major thing that's happened was the elimination of my job back in 2017. It should've been sad or shocking after being there 32 years, but it really wasn't. If anything, by that point it was a relief. In a previous position, I absolutely loved my job and was working with people I enjoyed and admired and worked well with (most of whom are still friends 30+ years later), but a forced move within the same company landed me into a situation that really never fully achieved the same level of satisfaction I had (job-wise or people-wise). That lasted 12 years. It was a means to an end; the pay was good, so were the benefits, so I stayed and probably would've stayed until it was time to retire. But when several jobs (including mine) were eliminated, I chose to leave rather than try for another position. I haven't looked back.
Health had become an issue, likely stress-induced. A number of years prior, the company had decided an open floor plan was the way to go. It was this introvert's worst nightmare. Constant interruptions from people stopping by, walking by, talking on cellphones or to one another (and not necessarily using indoor voices), turning the heat too high, wearing too much perfume, the list goes on and on - you are always on display with a constant assault on the senses 8 hours a day, everyday. Perhaps it promoted easy collaboration among co-workers, but in actuality it made completing work very difficult (noise blocking headphones didn't even work). At any rate, it's behind me now and the ensuing years have been spent enjoying life on my terms, reading and learning, completing projects and more importantly taking charge of my health. Once I've figured out what works for me, I'll probably post about it here, but for now it's still a work in progress.
So, to anyone who may be reading this, thank you! My plan is to post much more frequently than every seven years. But fair warning, I lead a pretty quiet, simple life so nothing flashy or earth-shattering here, but once I've reaquainted myself with Blogger - I'll be sharing recipes, products (just this morning I figured out how to use the Instant Pot I purchased 2 years ago), casual observations, recommendations, pet-peeves, etc.
Best wishes for health and happiness from The Elusive Introvert
Mug from: Sweet Mint Handmade Goods
**Quote found in Bella Grace Magazine, The Cozy Issue (2019)
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