So, I'm an introvert. I don't 'do' people. I'd rather set fire to my gentleman area than to make small talk, even with people I have met before. I'll clarify that. If I have met them a couple of times, I'm not comfortable around them, it takes many more meetings to even relax slightly. I can't do it. My wife is an ambivert, one that is both introverted and extroverted. The introverted side of her understands my need for quiet, my desire to be kept away from things. The extroverted side of her makes social interactions for me easier, she is polite, charming, wonderful company and has many friends that love her dearly. This means if we ever go out together, she can take the brunt of the conversational part and I can chime in occasionally, after careful consideration, to make her seem even better.
However, unfortunately I'm one of those people that seem to attract people wanting to chat. I stand out. I'm 6 foot 7, I'm very broad, I'm the kind of person that makes people say "I bet people don't argue with you!". I want to blend into the background, to not stand out, to not be noticed, but people stare. People want to hear how big my feet are, what the weather is like up here, how tall am I? So, I try to stay in even more, and my wife tries to make me go out. Luckily, I live in a part of town where there are a few resident (genuine) celebrities. Nobody will be looking at me if there's an actual Hollywood movie star shopping in the same aisle at Sainsburys (which has happened before).
I'm studying for a degree, which brings further problems. It's with the OU, so I don't have to see anybody, except they occasionally have day lectures. I went to one at the insistence of my wife, despite me knowing exactly what would happen. I pick things up fast. Explain something once and I have it. Explain something twice and I have lost my patience and my mind wanders. I'm a member of Mensa (my IQ is in the top 1% of the entire population). Unfortunately, other people aren't up to my speed, so things get explained again and again. Then they turn to me. They have picked up that I understand it and now want me to explain it in layman terms. Repeatedly. My skin is crawling just thinking about it.
But, I'm not without need for social interaction. I'm on Facebook, I hate it, but it's often the only way you can know what's going on with your family and people you actually like. I'm also on Twitter, under an alias, and have about 1,200 followers. I'm quick witted and know my way around a pun. This is the other guy. I am the guy behind that guy, the guy behind the curtain, the puppeteer. The Visible Introvert.
