This is a picture of Dad and me (of course a much younger me)!  We are sitting on a bench in San Francisco enjoying the gorgeous surroundings of the wharf and people watching.  This was our favorite past time.  Watching and taking life in.  My dad and I had just completed a cross country trip in my brand new and “too cool” black truck with a white swish down the side (and a cup holder! – which was a brand new feature back then).

The 3000 miles from Burlington, Vermont to Davis, California was a delicious journey where Dad and I fell into an easy flow.  Planning where to stay, when to stop, how far to drive any given day was effortless.  We loved talking about things that really mattered to both of us. We plunged deep together on topics including family dynamics, politics, philosophy, psychology and our inner most hopes and fears.  There was ease and space for silence too.

Dad was also a masterful storyteller.  And I ate his stories up like chocolate!  On that drive he told many stories I had heard before about his life only this time in chronological order. From growing up in East Rochester, Ohio, to joining the Air Force on a dubious white lie “of course I am Catholic” so he could shake his working class life and go to Spain where the recruiting officer said they needed men like him, to falling head over heels in love with my mom, to his two tours in Vietnam, and many more. His way of telling stories was to reveal a lesson without saying it explicitly.  The stories revealed his deep sense of self – a confidence and solidity which allowed him to frequently march to the beat of his own drum.  The message to me was “Jeanine – sometimes you have to break societal rules to be your own person.  It is so important to be true to yourself.  Do not sell yourself down the river even if it hurts sometimes!”   And upon reflection I’ve followed in his footsteps.  I cannot say I have the confidence to the degree he did yet I too have a strong sense of self and march to the beat of my own drum.

Turns out my Dad is an introvert which I only realized since my own introvert awakening in the past two years.  Some of this need to “break the rules” came from his introverted nature bumping up against extroverted norms.  As an introvert he taught me to appreciate sitting quietly and taking life in.  He taught me to notice the beauty of the natural world “Look at the beautiful maple tree“.  He taught me how to be powerful without force.  He taught me how to be tender when your heart breaks.  He taught me the importance of being comfortable in my own skin.  I am so grateful to my favorite introvert.  His lessons and the way they have manifested in me is what lies behind the creation of the Intelligent Introvert blog.  Let’s stand by and celebrate our introverted selves today.  Thank you Dad!