Friday, November 14, 2014

Attitude of Gratitude #12: Photographic Evidence

I have fallen behind on this challenge! I had all these grandiose ideas about who and what I'd feature in this post - pictures of people and things I appreciate. But as Thanksgiving break barrels our way, I've lost any semblance of "time management" proficiency. Enough excuses. These two pics represent a lot of what I appreciate these days.

The first snap shows where I hunker down with a cup of coffee to get my day started (on my best days - not today!). The twenty minutes or so I reserve for writing, blogging, and plotting my day. My husband, who has a completely different schedule than I do, snoozes behind me. I appreciate quiet alone time, for sure. And I love feeling his presence. So often, I'll be at the computer, and he'll be watching TV; the screen is just to the left of my desk. I used to do my morning ritual and writing in the kitchen, but I cherish being in the same room with my husband, even if we're focused on completely different activities. 

The second picture is also about place and companionship. This is the first semester I've had an office. Luckily I get to share with an amazing veteran professor, role-model, colleague. Having a place to hang my hat and store my books is awesome. Refrigerator doesn't hurt, either. Even better? Having company of someone I admire. That's his desk; we sit back to back.  If we scoot our chairs even one six inches too far back, we crash into each other. But I'm so, so grateful for the office and the company. 

What ties the two pictures together? Being near someone who shares the same values  - my husband, my peers. Being in a supportive environment - at home and at work. Being able to focus on my own thing. I guess that speaks to me toggling back and forth between the MBTI's of extraversion and intraversion, the ranges of preferences or tendencies that indicate how we respond to the world. Even though most people would peg me for more on the extraversion side of the "energy range,"  I actually get energy equally from being in groups and from solitary inspiration. And reading, writing, cogitating - all those skills necessary to be a scholar-type person - definitely requires a dose of intraversion, too. 

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