Opportunities Abound if Only…

By nature I am an introvert.

I prefer and have no problem being a stay-at-home kinda gal but life, right now, does not allow me to stay in the comfort of my home surrounded by familiarity and best of all… peace and quiet.

But, since being a hermit these days is frowned upon and possibly not healthy it’s probably a good thing that I have a job (or two) and that I am, at times, forced to be around a large group of people no matter how uncomfortable I feel.

One such event was quite recent… an all weekend birthday party for my boss at the B&B. I was home each night but I worked the event on Friday and Saturday putting food out, cleaning up after meals and helping keep the place generally clean. I also had the opportunity to visit with the forty or more women that were there over the course of the weekend. For an introvert that is a huge and scary task but all the women that donned the doors that weekend were so wonderful, so unique, so inspiring, and so nice. Each and every one of them had something to offer if only one would simply take the time to get to know them.

I forced myself to tuck my shyness away and sought out several of the ladies that I had met last year and eventually I was meeting new ladies and feeling more comfortable. I did a lot of listening over the weekend with a bit of talking here and there but if there is one thing that contradicts my introvertism (is that even a word? well if not, it should be, ha!) is music. I find it hard to talk to people I don’t know and I certainly can not get up in front of them and talk. BUT, I don’t have a problem getting in front of them and singing. I know, it doesn’t make sense but once the music starts the words are there, in my mind, ready to come out with the rhythm of the music which is SO much easier than trying to come up with words for a conversation. It might also have something to do with the fact that I have a hard time keeping my loud mouth shut when there’s good music around and that weekend there was fabulous music each night. On Friday night there was a bluegrass trio of ladies (whose name eludes me and who usually play with their menfolk but ditched them that night!) who were fabulous! I love that kind of music so there was a lot of toe-tapping going on during the songs I didn’t know but the songs I did know? Well, I tried to keep my loud mouth down to a low roar but a lady in front of me still heard me. I begged her to keep quiet but she insisted I needed to be up there singing and was going to tell everyone. I got off the hook when I said I didn’t know all the songs. Whew!

The next night we were blessed with more musical talent. Several guests had guitars and sang and played requests; there was a girl, Tatiana, who switched from keyboard to guitar; and then Jenn Shouse of Shouse Music joined in. She’s a local sweetheart, an acquaintance and typically plays with her husband, Chris. We all enjoyed listening to these ladies and singing along. But there was this one weekend guest that y’all may know… Sylvia the singer. She had several hit songs in the 80’s and her career has spanned over thirty years. She is working on a new album and plans on touring next year. She sang along and even sang her hit song ‘Nobody’ after requested to do so. Well, I was finished cleaning up after another awesome dinner and, unbeknownst to me, word had got around about my loud musical mouth. I had taken the last available seat which happened to be on the couch next to, of all people, Sylvia. We enjoyed harmonizing during the sing-alongs and then it happened. My boss asked if she and I would sing a duet a cappella because she wanted to hear me harmonize. YIKES! She wanted us to sing ‘I’ll Fly Away’. By now, Sylvia knew that when the boss asks you to do something, you do it! She graciously obliged and sang the lead while I harmonized. Let me tell ya… it was an opportunity of a lifetime and a moment this introvert will never forget!

Another opportunity came about today.

My friend, co-worker, fellow Farmers Marketeer (is THAT a word? If Mouseketeer can be a word so should Marketeer!), and editor of our local paper (where I also work) messaged me today saying that one of our regular ‘Lifestyle’ columnists will be unable to contribute for a while and would I consider contributing a few weeks each month. YIKES! I responded with ‘Oi, the pressure’, lol!

I enjoy blogging because I typically sit down to write a blog post whenever a topic presents itself and there’s no deadline. My style of writing is also suitable for a blog because I tend to write in a conversational style. Funny how that is since I’m usually not good with conversation. Oh the irony! But, writing for the paper? There’s a deadline and the format/style is a tad different than a blog.

My introvert self says “No way – I can’t do it nor do I want to put myself ‘out there’ like that”. And yet, every time I sit down to write a blog post then hit the ‘Publish’ button I am doing that very thing – putting myself ‘out there’.

While I enjoy writing I haven’t disciplined myself to write on a regular basis. As with anything – the more you do it the better/easier it becomes so, in my attempt to seize another great opportunity I told her I would. I have no idea where this opportunity will lead me but I’m willing to give it a go!

What will I write about? I have no idea. It will appear in the Lifestyle section so I will probably take a blog post or two and make it work for a newspaper. I can use photos, too, and many times a picture sparks a topic so that will help.

Wish me luck! Or better yet – feel free to suggest some topics or former blog posts that might interest newspaper readers.

Opportunities abound if only you see them as such and take advantage of them no matter the outcome. Easier said than done for this introvert but at the same time, I don’t want to miss out on what might’ve been.