My Encounter With A Social Butterfly
Dear Human, Your Impact Hasn't Gone Unnoticed
As an extroverted introvert, engaging in conversation with strangers doesn’t come easily. I am rarely the one to make the first move and greet new people, even though I find people fascinating. Just the mere thought of maintaining the conversation with shallow talk makes my skin crawl! The desire to retreat and hide is usually very strong in me. Imagine how out-of-place I tend to feel attending festivals with many people I don’t know! It can induce feelings of discomfort and sometimes overwhelm.
As I acknowledge my own way of being, which is not fixed (I am very extroverted around people I know well and feel comfortable around), I am so grateful to all those people out there who are natural social butterflies. They make the art of approaching strangers and conversating look easy!
I met one such soul at the HEL festival I attended last weekend at Nordmarkskapellet, a chapel in the woods of Oslo. Not so many words were exchanged between me and Alex, however the impact of his energy has left a mark and inspired the manifestation of this piece.
So What Exactly Did He Do To Leave Such An Impact?
I don’t know him well enough to give the answer justice, but I can only speak from how I experienced him. He was very authentic and true to his particular way of being in the world. He had such a goofy, fun, light-hearted and creative energy that made him stand out for me. I have a sense that others may have had that same experience of him too. My very first encounter with him was imbued with his quirky vibe, which threw me off a little and yet it stuck in my psyche. When I met him again, I recognised him immediately. We exchanged a few words before we went on our merry way, in opposite directions.
What I reflected on further thanks to him is how people—by virtue of being themselves fully—help others connect with those true parts in themselves too.
Alex had a very fun and creative way of responding to questions. On my second encounter with him that weekend, I found myself playing with and tapping into this quality within me too. His energy in its particular iteration is both an offering and an invitation for others to be in their own natural, authentic state.
Not hiding ones true colours out of fear of being judged for being too much or too little of this and that. Not pretending to be something that one isn’t in order to fit in and be accepted. None of that.
It also invites others to not take life so seriously! It invites them to be more playful and creative, allowing that creativity to take whichever shape or form it desires. His form of expression at the time of our encounter seemed to be through creative speech and communication.
Be Real As Much As Possible
People who walk in their truth—their energy speaking volumes in regards to their particular way of expressing, are a wonderful present to this world.
It’s people like Alex who help make cautious people like me feel seen and part of the community, especially in situations where the desire in us to flee might override the discomfort of staying put.
Be your authentic self always; show up in your truth no matter what that looks like. You never know what soul is benefitting from witnessing and being in the presence of your particular way of being in the world.
Dear human, your impact is never gone unnoticed.