A Personality Transplant

My friends, family, and I are still trying to figure out how my personality transplant occurred. All of my young life, I was quiet, shy, and honestly almost incapable of talking to people I didn’t know. Seriously. When I was old enough to drive and Lucy #1 sent me to the grocery store for milk and bread, I would force my sister to accompany me so she could hand the money to the cashier. Going away to college helped me come out of my shell quite a bit, but even for most of my adult life I would not have dreamed of starting a conversation with a stranger or speaking in front of a group of people.

I think the transplant occurred around the time I turned 45. Or maybe 50. If you are reading this and have already passed 40, you know some odd things can happen to one right about age 40 – for example, I went to bed one night with reasonable near-sighted eyesight and woke up the next morning too far-sighted to read a book or do needlework unless I took out my contacts or used reading glasses. Based on what happened to me around 40 (sadly, the eyesight wasn’t the only thing to go!), I think the personality thing may have been a by-product of approaching and then turning 50.

Whatever the cause and however it happened, the fact is that at some point I became gregarious. I was perfectly willing to sing and act out a song for the residents of the assisted living community where I was the business manager, and please note this was true even though I cannot carry a tune in a bucket. I began to chat up strangers in grocery-store lines and elevators. I knew something was definitely up when circumstances dictated that I quit my full-time business manager job and I chose to sell Pampered Chef products rather than seeking another full-time office position. (And I LOVE selling Pampered Chef!)

I’ll admit to still being awkward in situations where small talk is the order of the day, but give me a reason to “perform” and I’m there! Need someone to stand up in front of the church and show off the artwork for the new member directory? I’ve done that! Need a co-teacher for a class? I’ve done that! Want someone to go to your home, cook a recipe, provide information on the tools used, and tell funny stories to you and all your friends? I do that all the time!

Who’d have thought it could happen?