Friday, June 16, 2006

What? You don't want to hear about me?

I have a problem. A problem besides the fact that I am socially inept. Well, actually, I guess you could say the two problems cross paths periodically. What's wrong, you ask? Well...

I talk about myself. A lot. I talk about things I have experienced and things I have seen and thing I have heard and... Well, you get the picture. It seems to be the way I interact with people. Because what better way to show people you are listening and understand their topic than to tell them of your own personal experiences in that area? Except, after a while, people get tired of hearing about you (or me, whichever the case may be.)

I have found it to be especially troublesome in areas concerning children. Someone can start to tell me about their child, or, god forbid, ask my opinion. And when I open my mouth to start giving an intelligent answer, out pops a story about what I did (or saw, or heard.) Sometimes, oh gosh, sometimes, I don't even let them finish what they are saying. Because they talk about something I have done and my face lights up like it's Christmas and I start in on me (and my kids.)

It's a severe problem. I am now oh so conscious of it and I try to stop. But it's like a disease. It has permeated my brain, and my impulses, so that now I don't even know I'm doing it. Until, that is, I see that I have interrupted the conversation, or started to tell something that really isn't going to help the person I'm talking to.

So please be patient with me. Please know that I have noticed that I am telling you about me once again, and I'm just trying to finish the story so that I can shut up already.

(You see how this goes hand in hand with me having social anxiety and my basic social inept-ness (I am creative! Can make up words!) Yeah.)

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