Defender of Liberty and I are very different. She is the classic extrovert. Take her to a cocktail party, business dinner, or any gathering of people, and she almost always comes away from the event feeling energized.
I am an introvert. I'm not shy, and actually do a great deal of public speaking in my work, which I really enjoy. However, interacting with groups of people - even with friends who I love spending time with - drains rather than recharges me.
I think this is the real distinction between introverts and extroverts. D of L naturally seeks company when she is worn out, stressed out, or worried. I head to the garden.
I got to thinking about this yesterday when I opened our front door - not an everyday occurrence, as the kitchen door is our usual portal - and a bird exploded out of the climbing rose. Not being born yesterday when it comes to these matters, my brain said "nest." Sure enough, deep in the vines, I found it. It didn't take any guessing or consulting of bird guides to determine what kind of bird made it. There's a reason it's called "robin's egg blue:"
Robins are a curious combination of introvert and extrovert when it comes to nesting. They so often seem to build nests in busy spots near human habitation. My grandmother (of blessed memory) had a robin that built a nest for years in a light fixture that hung right outside the door to her house. The fixture was five feet away from a perfectly good tree that would have been much more private, but the birds would have none of it, even though my grandmother came and went through the door many times a day.
It certainly seems as if robins like some level of activity near their nests, even though they scold like crazy when anyone gets near. Perhaps they figure that people keep away other predators? I don't know, but "our robin" seems to have found the ultimate spot for robins - a spot right next to the door, but protected by the big sharp thorns of the rose.
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