Spontaneity--An Introvert's Dream

I am an introvert--plain and simple.  My introversion dictates a lot of the ways that I respond to the world around me.  The phone rings--I hope that someone else answers it.  A knock on the door--well, if we are quiet enough maybe they will go away.  Go to a party--yeah, right.  I rather go to the dentist for a root canal.  Crowds--they wear me out.  Make an instantaneous, on-the-spot decision--let me think about it for awhile and I will get back to you. As an introvert I side on taking the low-key, out-of-sight trek through life.  Spontaneity is not my friend though I admire spontaneous behavior in the world around me.  As much as I admire spontaneity, it is just not me. 

The world in which we live is dominated by extroverts--extroverts rule the world.  Good for them, it is too noisy for me.  My wife is an extrovert and an exceptional one at that.  It is tough living with an extrovert, thank goodness she allowed me one room in the house that is exclusively mine.  There I have my perfect little kingdom of quietness and calm to think and reflect.  Of my four children, three are extroverts and one is an introvert.  Maddie, my Boxer dog, is an introvert.  Dora, the Dachshund, is an extrovert.  The family is dominated by extroverts.  The world is ruled by extroverts and spontaneity is their gift.

As I stated earlier, I admire spontaneity.  I admire how people can break out in song or dance.  It moves my heart to see that take place out of seemingly nowhere in particular.  It often moves me and sends shivers up my spine.  It is so cool to see people just break out and move with the spirit of life around them.  I appreciate it from far, yep, as an introvert that is the best and safest place to watch spontaneity.  Better safe than sorry, besides I might have fun!

This admiration for spontaneity is probably one of the reasons I really appreciate organized, peaceful, celebratory "flash mobs".  I have never personally witnessed a flash mob in action.  All of the flash mob behavior I have witnessed and enjoyed has come from video--primarily You Tube.  The very first one I ever saw was the infamous T Mobile flash mob that sprung up at the Liverpool Street Station in London in 2009.  I loved it!

I don't just love spontaneous actions that make people want to dance, I also enjoy when it involves music--singing or played.  Nothing beats a spontaneous outbreak of music that inspires and moves people out of the ordinary of their day to place them in a special place.  One of my favorites is when a group breaks out in the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel in a mall food court in November of 2010.  Another is when the local philharmonic orchestra from Copenhagen breaks out in Ravel's Borelo in May of 2011.  I can still picture Bo Derek running down the beach!

Cool, isn't it?  As an introvert I think it would be safer to be a part of a flash mob than to attempt spontaneity on my own.  There is safety in numbers.  But even then, it would wear me out to be a part of any flash mob--I am sure someone would recognize me and I would have to explain what in the world I was doing out there dancing or singing.  A moment of temporary insanity--drunkenness?  It is just not me.  Yet today my daughter put me onto a young man who broke out in a moment of spontaneity--all by himself--in a local mall singing and dancing to his iPod.  As my daughter said on Facebook, "This made my heart happy."

 

As an introvert I will confess that I have dreams about spontaneity--of breaking out in a Grace Kelly sort of dance in the rain or singing like Julie Andrews on top of some mountain.  But that is about as far as it ever goes--dreams.  But I want everyone to know that deep down in that quiet introverted shell is a musical dancing fool waiting to bust out in song and dance.  The water might look calm on the surface but deep down it is a complete Broadway musical!

So, I just want to thank all of the extroverts in the world who have no problem with spontaneity.  I appreciate your effort and your lack of embarrassment--you make my life richer!  Thank you!