Deep Winter | The View From Here...

...is white and frosty. The temperature is 18 F and we're expecting another four to six inches of snow today. I have Gone With the Wind ready to play on the DVR later this afternoon, and I'm going to pop some corn, too.

I have taken hundreds of pictures of falling snow. None of them turn out. When I snap a picture I am always startled by the image that I've captured, which is nothing like what I was seeing and hoped to preserve. Why is that? Should I trust the lens of my eyes or that of the camera? Which gives the truer image?

I'm sure that the source of my difficulty is my inability to understand cameras or any small electronic devices (which is why I don't own a cellphone). All of these magic little boxes mystify me. I can't get them to work.

Here is the view from where I am sitting. There is the front door. It opens to the small "parlor"which is only big enough for our piano, my desk, and Zach's fish aquarium. It's a ridiculous room with no seating--there isn't any place to put a couch or chairs. And, here is Willow. She's pretty, but mean. All of the other animals know to keep their distance from her. She likes people well enough, as long as they don't pet her. She will sit in your lap as long as you respect her aversion to being touched. 

I suppose that everyone has quirks. I wonder, though, if I have more than my share. Besides not being able to use cell phones and other electronic gadgets, I don't like going out in public by myself, I hate flying. Hate it. (I know that airplanes are statistically safer than automobiles, but they just seem like a really bad idea to me.) I prefer quiet pursuits like reading, writing, knitting, gardening, and nature study--all things associated with introverts. Yet, I also love meeting new people, going places, and have a deep need for companionship like an extrovert. I enjoy a party, as long as I'm not the one being honored. In that case, I hate parties. In general, I dislike crowds and loud noises, but I will brave them to see a concert or show with my family.

I'm not sure what these things say about me, but according to the results of a Brigg Myers personality test, I am the rarest type: INFJ* with a moderate preference of introversion over extroversion (44%).  (If you would like to take a free test based on Carl Jung and Isabel Brigg Myers typology, go here.)

Once, I took a quiz about what kind of dog breed I would be if I were a dog. I was a Labrador Retriever. :  )

*The following sections from an INFJ profile written by Marina Margaret Heiss really do describe me pretty accruately and may help some of my friends and family understand me better:

 INFJs are distinguished by both their complexity of character and the unusual range and depth of their talents. Strongly humanitarian in outlook, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their J preference for closure and completion, they are generally "doers" as well as dreamers...

INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people -- a product of the Feeling function they most readily show to the world. On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates." While instinctively courting the personal and organizational demands continually made upon them by others, at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. This apparent paradox is a necessary escape valve for them, providing both time to rebuild their depleted resources and a filter to prevent the emotional overload to which they are so susceptible as inherent "givers." As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood -- particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type.

...Usually self-expression comes more easily to INFJs on paper, as they tend to have strong writing skills. Since in addition they often possess a strong personal charisma, INFJs are generally well-suited to the "inspirational" professions such as teaching (especially in higher education) and religious leadership. Psychology and counseling are other obvious choices, but overall, INFJs can be exceptionally difficult to pigeonhole by their career paths.