Recently, I heard about a gentleman who put together an “owner’s manual” for potential co-workers to better understand him. His intention was to ensure his quirks and his personality did not drive people away. In other words, he wanted to make sure people had an idea of how best to work with him so they did not just co-exist but they could thrive together.
I was so fascinated by the idea that I shamelessly stole it and have put this page together. Here are the most important things to know about me, at least at first.
I am an introvert. And this means that I get re-energized by time alone with my own thoughts and interests and hobbies. It also means that one-to-one I am typically just fine and I am also mostly good in and around small groups of people (i.e., 3 to 8 or so). If I have to interface with larger groups of people I find myself easily exhausted and probably a little too irritable for most people’s comfort.
I am shy. And this means that if I am not already acquainted with you, I usually hesitate to make the first move to get to know you. It’s just how I am wired, there is nothing wrong with either of us. I am working to make it a habit to be the first to reach out and introduce myself. Why? Because I do not like being hostage to my own weaknesses. I may never turn it into a strength, but something as simple as shyness should not be debilitating.
I love to learn. And I made a rule for myself at age 12 that I would not go to bed at the end of the day until I had learned something new. That is one reason I prefer TV shows about history or technology to nearly anything except comedies. And I will go out of my way to watch a show about one of my personal heroes or a show that marries ancient history with engineering. If I cannot find something learn-able on TV, I will go to the trusty ol’ Internet and try to learn something about a field I know very little about, such as hydrology. And these all assume that I have not learned something from the book(s) I am reading.
I love to read. I’m partial to physical books, although I will use my Kindle or a Kindle app if needed. But I would still rather have a physical book in my hands. With any luck, the book I am reading is chock full of new ideas I can put into practice in my life to make a real difference.
I love to play guitar. And I often get frustrated that my current level of ability does not allow me to play what I hear in my head. But I love to play, especially bluesy things.
I love old time radio. And I have tens of thousands of episodes in an electronic format that I often listen to. I am also subscribed to several old time radio podcasts so I can get a weekly fix in addition to my normal listening.
I love listening to podcasts. I have several I routinely listen to and this is becoming one of my primary sources for learning and gaining new ideas to implement in my life.
I have likely left something off this list that you would find fascinating. I plan to come back to this post routinely and update it.