My mom tells the story like this:
You were in 5th or 6th grade and I’d just gotten home from work. I was putting dinner together and asked, “How was your day, honey?”
“It was okay.”
“How was recess?”
“Recess was crazy. All the kids were chasing each other and running all over the playground.”
“What were you doing while they were all running around?”
“I was sitting on the hillside, watching them and eating my pomegranate.”
I have no recollection of that day, but then it’s typical of an INFJ to have spotty memories, especially of childhood.
I do remember preferring the sidelines, as a kid, and not knowing why. It wasn’t until many years later, after learning about INFJ, that I understood my need to not be in the fray. Even though I don’t want to get mixed up in the mess, I do like to be on the periphery and observe the chaos – for awhile. There’s a lot to be learned from observing the behaviors of others – analyzing their motivations and intentions. That comes off as sounding snooty, but analyzing the behaviors of others is how an INFJ comes to terms with all the chaos. It’s how we feel better. It’s how we avoid feeling like we are losing our grasp. It’s how we reassure ourselves that the world isn’t really falling apart, when social media does a good job of convincing us that these are the end days.
These are rich times for INFJs what with all the observations to be made, and the patterns to recognize.
It’s good to be on the hillside with my pomegranate. It’s better for my health.
Join me. It’s quiet there, if you like that sort of thing. Oh, and I brought extra pomegranates. It’s looking like I could be here for awhile.
Tags: gentle reminders, infj, life, survive, thriving
Thank you Jesse!! I will join you on that hillside!! I’ll bring the vino!🍷
Much love . . .
Lynn,
Yay! Good company! Bring blankets, we just got our first snow!
I have the butt warmers (hand warmers for back pockets lol), cheese and another bottle just in case… ;)
Z,
I so hoped you’d be joining us.