Going Beyond the Mask

I recently had a profound conversation with my sister. We were talking about behavior labeling. I have said that I was an introvert for years. It’s not what I am by nature. I am an extrovert with introvert like tendencies. However, because of life, I had adapted the full labeling of an introvert to protect myself from being hurt by others.

People have misunderstood me many times. I have been told that I seemed aloof or standoffish. I didn’t want to be. Internally my inner extrovert was screaming “Here I am, let’s be friends!” The mask I wore daily in the world; to shield me from hurt said different. It screamed “Stranger danger! Be leery of new people attempting to come into your circle.”

However, I had worn the mask so long. That when I was ready to remove it, at first I didn’t know how. Or that I still acted like I still had it on most of the time.