Tag: companionship

The good thing about having a pet.

I’ve had lots of pets during the course of my life. I mentioned a few of them in a previous post, and I will reblog that post here. I don’t have a pet right now though. I moved here from a place that was very confined and I haven’t decided to get one. I would say the good thing about a pet is they can keep you company. It gets very lonely without some form of companionship.

Are you a dog or cat person?

What do you think is good about having a pet? Do you have a pet right now? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!

The thing that brings tears to my eyes.

One might describe me as a reluctant introvert. Outwardly, I usually seem very quiet, but this appearance belies my true nature. Over the years, I have learned to spend a lot of time alone, but I am not a true introvert. Under most social conditions, I can’t completely assume the characteristics of an extrovert, but I’m sure it would be very enjoyable if I could.

One of the main reasons I can’t be extroverted in every social situation is because I am unable or unwilling to overcome the extreme extroverts. A person who is overtly extroverted is highly competitive about getting and sustaining everyone’s attention. They won’t let anyone outdo them for long. It makes them uneasy. They might start looking for a different group if everyone tunes them out, one that listens to them and strokes their ego.

Have you ever been to a gathering and some guy says, why are you so quiet? Cat got your tongue? Don’t trust the quiet ones! If you have, you’ve met one of these competitive extroverts. They have to make the potential competition look weird or unworthy of hearing so they can keep the floor the whole time. They mostly do it subconsciously of course. They just can’t allow anyone to be heard above them. They’ve got to be the life of the party. Some people love this type of person, but many others, including myself, find them annoying and arrogant. Let someone else talk for a change!

I’m not pushy with my extroversion, but I know it’s still there. I want to be a person that people listen to sometimes, but I’ll take turns listening, and I mean really listening, not just thinking of my next funny reply. That’s another characteristic of the competitive extrovert. They never really hear anything you say because they only care about what they have to say. Their own ideas trump everyone else in the room.

I was then left all alone. I didn’t want to be alone again! I remember just sitting there by the porch, trying to play by myself, with tears rolling down my cheeks.

I experienced the need to be around people at an early age. One time when I was very young, several of my cousins came over to my house to play. We spent many hours playing, as kids often do. I don’t remember exactly what we did, probably involved lots of running around, or maybe playing a game, or we could have just played with cars or action figures under the big shade trees. The thing I do remember is when they all went home that evening. I was then left all alone. I didn’t want to be alone again! I remember just sitting there by the porch, trying to play by myself, with tears rolling down my cheeks. The emotional pain was overwhelming! I had found the thing that brings tears to my eyes, it’s simply the act of saying goodbye.

If I’m not an extrovert, and I’m not an introvert, then what am I? I believe the best way to describe my personality type would be to say that I’m an omnivert. I can sit quietly for long hours in contemplation and also do things that require incredible levels of concentration, like writing and programming computers for instance, but if I’m around people I like, I will become something totally different indeed.

I remember there was a girl I used to know, and once she started hanging out with me, she said something kind of funny. She said, wow, you’re a talker! She was very surprised to learn that I could keep a conversation going for as long as she wanted, maybe even longer. I think my extroverted side comes as quite a shock to someone after I know them enough to let it loose.

You may recall from another post, that I have difficulty concentrating around certain kinds of noise, so much so that I often opt for hearing protectors to block out sounds. It so happens that the main sounds that distract me are human voices. My extroverted side wants to know what they are talking about and join into the conversation. This is yet another example of my affinity toward the people I find interesting.

More info about omniverts can be found here: What Is an Omnivert? – Meaning And Traits.

Possible discussion ideas.

  1. How would you describe yourself (extrovert, introvert, ambivert, omnivert)?
  2. Do you know any competitive extroverts?
  3. Do you get annoyed when someone hogs all the attention?
  4. Ever feel really sad when company goes home?
  5. Do you know someone who never listens?
  6. Know any talkers who are quite most of the time?

Are you a dog or cat person?

What am I, a dog or cat person? For some reason, there’s a difference between people who like dogs and people who like cats. I have had both and they both have pros and cons. I really wouldn’t want to pick one over the other, they both make awesome pets, but I would probably lean toward a dog if put on the spot. Cat’s and dogs definitely have different personalities and needs.

To me, cats can be very cute and cuddly, especially when they are kittens, but their claws can be quite painful. They also seem very independent compared to dogs, and kind of like to be left alone sometimes, but they will find creative ways to make you pet them. They also seem very curious about moving objects, and will chase them around the house.

Dogs, to me, are much more friendly, but seem a little more emotionally needy. They also seem sort of submissive, compared to cats. I think this make them excellent socially. I’d say a dog is less likely to hurt you in general, but they could be more dangerous if they did. If a cat was as big as an average dog, let’s say a German Shepherd, I’m not sure I would want to be in the same room with them. The cat’s small size makes them relatively harmless. I also think a dog’s love more closely resembles that of a human, which is probably why they are considered man’s best friend.

I grew up in a small rural town, so I had an opportunity to be around other types of animals. I actually had a goat as a pet on a couple of occasions, and they make wonderful pets! They love to play and will butt you with their head when you aren’t looking. For a boy, this was great fun though. I’ve also had birds, fish, hermit crabs, guinea pigs, rabbits, turtles, and once even a ferret. There might be something I’m forgetting. I do know I’ve never had anything really exotic, like a reptile, snake, or big spider, but I’d honestly rather not.

In case you wanted to know, I don’t currently have any pets right now, but I have considered getting one at some point in the future. I’m still fairly new to city life, so I’m not sure how that will work with a pet. I’m used to having an actual backyard. This seems very cramped for animals, but a lot of people here do it. I’d also have to figure in a lot more time to do things like take them on walks, etc. We’ll see how it goes.

What pets have you had? Do you have one now? Are you a cat or dog person? Let me know in the comments. I can’t wait to hear! Also, don’t forget to like, subscribe, follow, and share!