In which an INFP goes to ALA

I am a rather extreme example of an INFP (according to the Myers-Briggs personality type scheme of things), and truly, my life is just one long stream of INFP-ness. Including my day yesterday, in which I left home for Washington DC and the summer meeting of the American Library Association.

I is for introvert. Introverts tend to become very tired when they spend lots of time with other people...by the time I actually got to the Exhibits at ALA, I had spent six hours travelling with my Dear Boys (we're staying at my mother's house). Six hours in which both of them essentially wanted to sit on my lap, so by the time we arrived, crawling into a corner and hiding seemed like an excellent idea. But instead, the moment we got safely to Arlington, my mother drove back into DC, to get to the last twenty minutes of the exhibits, and then I went over to the SCBWI get together. A large group of strangers is not introvert heaven, and I questioned my sanity, but happily I met some old blogging friends, and met some new ones, and so was glad I went.

N is for intuitive. As opposed to S people, who rely on facts, common sense, and past experience, N people trust vaguely that their intuition will direct them. N people tend to arrive at exhibit halls having left their lists and maps at home by accident, and trust to the fates that they will be led in the direction of the books they want. This doesn't work very well, because sometimes one forgets the name and publisher of the book one really wants (the new Baritmaeus one) and feels futile. However, I did come home with a nice little bag of arcs, including Pegasus, so that was ok.

F is for feeling vs thinking. Which is to say, I am not so very good at approaching situations with calm logic (see above). More crazed, emotional squirrel than calm, thoughtful book reviewer. I tried to hide this--because what publisher wants to give ARCs to crazed squirrels? But I don't know if it worked.

P is for perception. The main distinction in this fourth category is whether a person values closure, or open-endness; the realization, or the expectation. I have spent the past week in just a giddiness of happy anticipation, and so, even if I hadn't gone last night, and hadn't gotten any books or met new people, I would have gotten my money's worth just from how much I looked forward to it.

I don't know when I'll make it back into town...My mother has a full weekend of bird banding, and although I'm very proud that my mom is an ace bird bander, it does mean that she isn't home to keep an eye on the kids. And, trying hard to think logically, based on past experience, it probably would be Very Stressful to take the boys into town with me today....so I'll probably just spend the day anticipating tomorrow afternoon, when I'll be able (d.v.) to go back....maybe even with a list (ha ha--sarcasm laugh).