Fixed ideas

I'm an extrovert. I always have been. And not in the colloquial sense of being out-going, but in the literal sense of getting my energy from those around me. Being alone too much was exhausting, being with others made me feel alive and happy. Then the pandemic hit, and then my extroverted self struggled being  stuck in my house surrounded only by those closest to me, but not surrounded by those I work with and those I socialize with. I felt stuck and stagnant and depleted. 

Yet in the many months following the initial shock of the stay-at-home orders, I felt myself begin to change. To worry as the orders were lifted about going out, about seeing other people, about venturing into my office or to the grocery store. Thinking about going out made me feel anxious and I found the that I sought refuge and solace in my home. I became introverted. 

So which is it? Am I an extrovert or an introvert? I think the answer is: it depends. When I am inside my house I feel comfortable and satisfied. Once I am out of my house, I feel energized and free. So maybe the lesson is that there is no label and there need not be. Maybe the answer is that depending on the circumstances, we can change, we can evolve, we can adapt to something we were so certain we were not. 

Lesson learned. 

-a