This is Me - Role Clairty
This is a post included in the This is Me series where I answer 1001 questions about myself as writing practice. Each post consists of me answering 5 questions about myself. Wanna share what you would answer to any or all of the questions? Do it in the comments section!
DO YOU ENJOY WATCHING TELEVISION?
I was just talking with my Dad the other day about how when I was little, I would record different shows that I watched (The Cosby Show, Facts of Life, Family Ties) on our VHS player/recorder and then watch them over and over throughout the week. I have no idea why I used to do this, I'm assuming because there just wasn't that much to watch. Why not just watch a show I knew I would like 4-5 times?
Television has always had a special place in my heart. I love the episodic nature of television. I love watching people act...or trying to act. I love thinking about how my life is either similar or completely dissimilar to the stories I am watching. In general, I prefer movies, but I think I will always enjoy watching television.
WHAT'S A SPORT THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS WATCH?
Badminton.
haha...just kidding. I didn't even know how to spell it! The sport that I can always watch no matter what is professional football, especially in the 3rd and 4th quarter. This is where the real action happens and you know you are near the end so it's more enjoyable. I don't even really care who is playing I just like watching mainly because I fully understand the rules, the plays are quick and often filled with suspense and there are a lot of breaks that take place.
I guess the same would probably go for college football, but I've never really cared much about any other team than UNM so college football hasn't been as interesting to me over the years.
WHAT IS ALWAYS EASY FOR YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO?
Any sort of 1:1 conversation that I am having. If I'm in a larger group it would be easier to drift attention when the conversation doesn't involve me or if someone else is monopolizing the conversation. If it is just me and someone else though, I am typically highly engaged in that conversation, especially if the other party is highly engaged with me. When someone who starts looking at their phone or becoming distracted by other things, it makes me feel so devalued an unimportant so I really make a concerted effort to not do that to others.
DO YOU LIKE THE SPOTLIGHT?
I guess it depends...is the spotlight on me because I've done something embarrassing? or something amazing?
Something that is common for a lot of introverts (I'm almost 100% introvert on every test I have taken) is the importance of role clarity to their comfort level with the spotlight. It's not that introverts hate being in the spotlight or the center of attention, but if they find themselves there and their role in that situation isn't clear...their skin will probably be crawling with anxiety.
However, if their role is crystal clear, the spotlight often isn't a problem at all. This is why I have zero problem getting up on a stage and presenting a lecture or class to 500 people, but put me in a group of 10 people of varied backgrounds, ages, and "power" levels and I do not want to take control or be in the spotlight at all. If I am designated the person in charge and everyone knows this and agrees to it, then that changes things...otherwise, no thank you.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSICAL GENRE?
If I HAD to choose just one, I'd say Alt-Rock. Although I listen to all sorts of music and enjoy all sorts of music, PNW, slightly grunge alt-rock is something I always come back to. Think Coldplay, Death Cab, Kings of Leon, Mumford and Sons. I think one of the reasons this type of music holds such a special place in my heart is that my move from Albuquerque to Seattle in early 2008 was a momentous occasion in my life. I had never lived anywhere other than Albuquerque, and Seattle was...well, it was Seattle! When I moved, social media wasn't a thing yet so I spent way more time listening to music at that time so the music that was popular in that area during that time cemented a certain type of feeling of being an adult, living somewhere really cool and learning about who I was on my own.
