This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend two days celebrating the Wedding Take 3 (more to come on this in a future post) of one of my cousins. As celebrations go, it was top notch – great food, fun and games, time spent with a group of people I love.
There was one thing that I noticed about myself this weekend. Though I chatted with people, played some euchre, got to know some people better – I realized that I also enjoyed making sure that the food table stayed well stocked, doing dishes, and occasionally cleaning up after the group.
Being the center of attention is not something I crave, though I have no qualms about getting up in front of people and speaking or giving a presentation. What I prefer is to be on the periphery, however, being more of an observer than a participant when I’m with larger groups of people.
Observing people as they converse and interact is fascinating, mingled voices and laughter, what’s said with body language and not with words, flitting from one group or table of people to another.
It’s not just about watching, though, it’s also about seeing what people need, like giving someone a napkin or filling a bowl when they’re scooping out all that remains, showing them where the bathroom is located or even sitting for a while with someone who seems lonely.
What all this says about me I’m not really sure. It’s possible, likely even, that I’m just a bit odd, but that’s okay. At this point in my life I try to spend a lot more time doing what I enjoy and less time doing stuff I think I should do, or what other people think I should do.
Do you enjoy being the life of the party, or like me to you prefer being on the periphery? Let me know by leaving a comment at the top of the post.