I have never been a person who enjoys talking on the phone. I didn’t really recognize it until I moved away from Texas and people started giving me grief for “never” calling or returning texts. My own mama still gives me the blues about it. And I am like… c’mon. I even have a friend who likes to maintain the argument that I never call them and I am like, dude, I never called you when we lived in the same city. Our communication just seems off because the way we use to communicate (face-to-face) has now been challenged.
In all seriousness, I understand what they are saying. Staying in touch with people is vital to maintaining relations with people you care about. I acknowledge I could do a better job at being more communicative, especially considering most recently, the only thing that got me through a trying time in my life was God and my people. My support system of family and friends held me down and I am eternally grateful for them. I’d hate for any of them to think that I am not appreciative of their presence in my life and that I purposefully ignore their call. Even though I do…
Ok, let me explain. It’s not that I don’t want to talk to people it’s just that most of the time I really do not have the energy to do so. I am an introvert and interacting with people absorbs a lot of my energy. Especially after a long day of work, or later in the week, my energy is pretty much depleted. And real talk, when I am tired, I’m not much fun to talk to. I have to have time to re-energize myself and that requires isolation.
But nonetheless, it’s important to maintain relationships with family and friends because their presence is intangible and worth the effort. Managing my introvert ways is something I am still learning to do. I am working on communicating more often and still conserving my energy. Below are some things I am hoping to start implementing:
- Texting- sending a quick “checking in” text requires little effort and is a good way to keep in touch
- Calling- designate a specific amount of time allowed for a phone conversation
- Video chat instead of calling – this can feel like an actual face-to-face interaction
- Schedule more face-to-face meetups
- Send birthday cards or random personal notes to show you appreciate and are thinking of them
- Show love on social media via comments/likes
- Send interesting articles/memes that could spark up a dialogue
- Be genuine and make the effort
We have our flaws…Kudos to you for recognizing areas in which you want to try to work on! We love you flaws and all❣️
I’m going to keep on giving you the blues. If it wasn’t for GroupMe I wouldn’t know you were alive. That’s why I don’t hassle you as much.
Thanks for being honest, and explaining that engergy factor. I’m an Introvert and often misunderstood, but I will do a better job staying connected with those that matter!!
yea, it can be hard to do, because we as introverts may not want to talk at the moment. But we need people in our lives!