I suspect this will surprise my friends, but when I was in middle school and high school, I was very reserved. When I was young I was gregarious and outgoing, but between those two points I folded on myself like a Venus Flytrap. I had trouble dealing with people, and mostly avoided them.<\/p>\n
I say this may be a surprise because the pendulum has swung back the other way. I’m now very outgoing, and given a choice, I gravitate to where there are people, and I’m often one of the last people leaving a party.<\/p>\n
When Eli was born, I wondered how he’d deal with others. I’d had such a rollercoaster ride; would he?<\/p>\n
Last weekend I took Eli to Pump It Up, a warehouse filled with inflatable trampolines and slides that wisely has yet to partner with either Elvis Costello or Missy Elliott. One of his friends was having a birthday, and the place was filled with Eli’s four- and five-year-old friends. I had to pull him aside at one point for breaking the place’s rules and climbing over the walls of the inflatable obstacle course.<\/p>\n
“Dad,” he said, sniffling, “it’s no fun out there without me.”<\/p>\n
“Oh?” I said. “But are you having fun?”<\/p>\n
“Yeah. But not when I’m alone.”<\/p>\n
If he goes all emo on me when he’s a teenager, at least I’ll know that that phase won’t necessarily last.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I suspect this will surprise my friends, but when I was in middle school and high school, I was very reserved. When I was young I was gregarious and outgoing, but between those two points I folded on myself like a Venus Flytrap. I had trouble dealing with people, and mostly avoided them. I say … Continue reading Our Little Cruise Director<\/span>