The Longest Day: Part Two

Yesterday I began the story of a recent, frantically busy Saturday which seemed to warrant the kind of immortality that can only be bestowed here on my blog. It began with a profile in frustration precipitated by a morning visit by the handyman. Where I left off, we had received word that he was finished and were speeding towards our very pressing engagement. That engagement, if I was less than clear, was a special workshop designed to identify one's natural strengths and inclinations.

It was a quick trip down to Hollywood, and free of traffic, but it seemed just possible that parking might be a minor issue. We did have to meander through some side streets to find a spot, but it was not an especially onerous task. In any case, we needn't have worried. The small theater hosting the event was occupied prior by a class which ran long, and so the attendees of our workshop collected on the sidewalk out front for some minutes after the scheduled time. I guess I'm glad for that since we might in this situation have otherwise missed something, but it bothers me to no end how meaningless planned times are here. I think I may have written about that. That annoyance passed as do they all, and we got going.

 The thing was put on by members of our improv comedy and church community, and it seemed that most of the people I knew were going to be there. Lest the reader be fooled, I have yet to reach the pinnacle of success that I have envisioned for myself, and I imagined that this workshop just might aid the process. At the very least, I knew I would have a good time. As I said, many friends were there, but in a sense it was a very particular selection of my friends: it was all the friends who felt strongly enough about their personal and professional development to allocate precious funds and an entire Saturday afternoon towards that purpose. I feel keenly the positive vibes of being in any activity which separates a small, special segment of the population from the rest. Improv is like that, as is simply waking up early in the morning.

I had glanced at the results of the tests I had to take in advance, but was not terribly familiar with them. I trusted that we would cover them to the fullest extent I need concern myself with, and we did. There were no particular surprises in the strengths which came out in those tests with minor exceptions. The recent trajectory of my life has been such that I was nonplussed by finding myself classified as an extravert. I feel it could have gone either way. I feel the qualities of being an intravert about as strongly, and three years ago it would have been the latter all the way. I thought I would get Ideas as a strength, but didn't. I did get Intellectualism, Input, Adaptability, Context and Strategy. Probably the great benefit will be that I now expect to focus on all the things presented to me, and re-think my attitude about how I divide my energy between strengths and weaknesses in service of general self-improvement.

Of course, snacks and socializing were part of the agenda, and I feel I conducted sufficient business along those lines. A friend I met at Toastmasters who began getting into improv largely as a result of my efforts was there, and that was extremely gratifying. All considered, the event really was a lot of fun and yielded what I hope will be great rewards. It was necessary to leave sooner than I might have liked, but it was for very good reason. A friend and I had to obtain supplies pick someone up in advance of the day's next agenda item.

Tomorrow: The birthday party!