We’re just back from a lovely family holiday – just the 5 of us away for a week in Tuscany, staying in Florence, and also visiting Siena, Pisa and Lucca.
We all took lots of pictures. When we ‘pooled’ them to show to friends and relatives back home it was really fascinating the difference in our photographic styles and what we noticed in our surroundings.
Now my husband is an extrovert and a real action taker. As you probably know by now, I’m an introvert and a reflector.
Together we make a good team. But there have been times in the past when I’ve lost confidence or felt, in comparison with all that my lovely hubby achieves, I’m simply not good enough (my own critical self judgement I hasten to add, not his).
I often wonder at his energy, when I feel drained by a heavy schedule or too much going on.
These days of course I’m much more informed and aware of the differences in how introverts and extroverts are energised.
And although I’d never thought about myself as a Highly Sensitive Person, this holiday has made me think perhaps I’m more Highly Sensitive than I thought.
My photographs revealed the detail I noticed, and how much I absorb and take in. I saw connections and patterns, themes and links, became immersed in sights, sounds, smells, feelings and tastes to the point it was at times quite overwhelming.
I become a little like a smart phone or other mobile device with too many apps open and running in the background – it simply drains my battery!
My husband is energised by seeing and doing as much as possible – breadth and speed, whereas I find less is more – depth and lingering, because otherwise my brain becomes overloaded with all the sensory information it’s trying to take in and process.
I’m very lucky to have a hubby who knows me well and gives me the space and time I need – and I in turn am happy for him to explore without me.
There’s plenty of overlap in the middle where we share experience together – just from very different perspectives!
