Getting To Know You All As We Wonder

So, here’s another goal of mine, as my wife and I prepare for the Greatest Adventure of our lives, in search of the wonder of it all:  I want to meet as many of you, my devoted online friends, and as many “normal Americans,” as is possible during our journeys.  I want to meet you face-to-face, not through social media, up close and personal, shake hands with you, share a cold beverage with you, have a fireside chat with you, because, well, I have this craving to mingle with the masses.

I want to improve my quality of life by meeting you.

Which is weird, admittedly, because I am a card-carrying member of the Introvert’s Club.

A lifetime of shyness

I wonder if there is a “shy” gene?  Scientist recently announced that the final segments of the DNA genome have been mapped, which is huge news for the medical field as they search for ways to cure diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.  Anyway, and I don’t mean this to be silly, but it opens up discussions about whether there is a “shy” gene, or an “anxiety” gene, or any other genes which explain why some people are the way they are, while others have completely different personalities.

I’m not smart enough to answer those questions. All I know is I am shy. Have been for as long as I can remember.  I was the kid by himself during school dances and other group activities and, truth be told, I am still that way. I’m great one-on-one. I will talk your arm off if it’s just me and you, but ask me to walk into a room where ten other people are, and I instantly wall off a protective area around me, and nary a word will come out of my mouth.

And then there’s the whole introverted thing.  Are shyness and introverted the same thing? Webster’s Dictionary says that introverted means “possessing a reserved or quiet nature typically with an inclination to solitude.”

I think there’s a slight distinction there, but again, I don’t think I’m smart enough to tell you what it is. All I know, with any certainty, is the definition of introverted fits me like a proverbial glove. I do have an inclination to solitude but that does not, necessarily, mean I always enjoy solitude.

I’m a complicated human being.  Aren’t we all?

And then there is Bev

Bev is more gregarious than I am.  She functions quite well in group settings. She may not prefer a group, but she doesn’t suddenly forget how to speak, like I do, when faced with a group.

Bev is louder than I am when in a group. She laughs more than I do when with a group. She is often the heart beat of a group, the instigator, the engine that drives the social vehicle. Kids love her. Adults love her. Fellow workers would walk through walls for her.  She is universally-respected by those who know her.  And yet, in her own way, she is shy, reserved, and very doubtful of people who sing her praises.

She’s a complicated human being.  Aren’t we all?

And that’s the whole point as we wonder

If you watch the news, or television in general, or if you subscribe to everything on social media as being the true reality, then your opinion of certain groups of people will be jaded, or so it seems to me.  All Southerners are rednecks. All Texans are loudmouthed and gun-toters.  All Bostonians are intellectual snobs, and all Californians are pot-smoking, brain-dead fluffy Liberals.  Which, of course, is ridiculous.  Universal statements like those have no resemblance to reality, but our views are so limited, and we are constantly bombarded by stereotypical nonsense like that, so we end up partially, if not totally, believing those universal statements.

I want to find out for myself what the truth is about my fellow countrymen.  I want to meet as many of them as possible, shake their hands, look them in the eye, and confirm what I have always believed, that we are joined together by far more similarities than we are divided by differences.

And, so, there you have it.  As Bev and I travel around the country, either in our travel trailer, or on foot, I want you to find us, sit down with us, and speak as true friends do.  I will keep you apprised of our activities as we search for the wonders of life. I will let you know where we are, and where we are going. I will be as specific as possible regarding longitude and latitude.  And then the rest is up to you.  Find us, don’t find us . . . but I truly hope you choose to find us.

Catch you down the Road of Life.  Let’s improve each other’s quality of life by meeting each other.  I promise to be on my best behavior and yes, I am potty-trained. 😊