Isn’t it amazing how many different versions of us there are? My demeanor changes depending on who I am with or where we are. With friends, I can talk for hours. I can be witty and charming and even outgoing. With family, I take a back seat to my sister and am known as the quiet one. I can be in a room with them for ten minutes before anyone even notices me.
My mother commented that after my sister moved away to school that I had come out of my shell. The truth was, I didn’t need to compete for attention – because I won’t fight for it. My sister is always the centre of attention. She commands a room.
I am always listening, even if I’m not participating in conversations, when I’m with family, or visiting with friends with my family. But put me with my girlfriends or my husband and kids, and I am fully present and committed to being my true self.
Then there’s the work me…honest, hard working, and again, not the most outspoken person. But I know my stuff – I’ve been there a long time. I will let my opinion be known. Respectfully, of course, and deferring if I see the wisdom in other’s comments.
In all the versions of me, I strive to be honest and authentic. I may not show you all of my sides and there’s even a very private side that I save just for me. I will show you me, in pieces, until I know that I can trust you with all of me.
I’m always curious about how people perceive me, but truth be told? It’s none of my business. All I can do, is be me. I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. And that’s A-okay.
E. E. Wildwood 