I work from home and I am an introvert.
In other words, Match Made? Meet Heaven.
Back in the olden days when I worked in corporate America, I did surprisingly well for an introvert in a professional setting. I was pleasant. Appropriately humorous. I got my work done. People seemed to like me enough to throw me a baby shower. Twice.
And even though last week you could have heard me screaming from all the way from Minneapolis when I found out that I grossly underpaid my income tax estimates in 2015, the life of self-employment suits me on so many levels.
I work better when it’s quiet.
I take breaks to do laundry and to set the timer on my crock pot.
And I keep the bras hanging on a hook in my closet where they belong.
But on Friday night, Dan invited me to meet him after his school day ended at one of his favorite study haunts, a little St. Paul coffeeshop/wine bar called Groundswell.
“Should I bring my laptop?” I asked. To which he replied, “Hells yeah!”
So I did. But then it didn’t take long for the wine and cheese plate to show up.
My point, and I do have one, is that it’s good to get out into the world and I tend to forget this. Sometimes writing a blog post with a belly full of artisan meats and cheeses is exactly what your business needs.
The wine in the mason jars? Maybe not as needed, but what the hell. There’s no law that says hipster ends after 50. Am I right?
And what the hell, it gave me this blog post. One down. So very many to go.
Kaysie says
OOOH…..Thanks for the chuckle with the blog post. Well, except for the big OUCH part about taxes. And, thanks for the link to this place. My sister lives near Hamline and the Midway area so now a perfect new place to check out for her birthday this week ! ! !
Cathy Zielske says
Do check it out! It’s a great little nook.
Debra says
Glad you had a good time! By the way, for more obscenities along the line of wine in a mason jar, see @WeWantPlates on Twitter. There’s some corkers there.
Cathy Zielske says
Well now I’ll have to check that out! 🙂
Lida says
Ain’t life grand when you can mix it up a little. Sounds like you had a nice outing.
Cathy Zielske says
I need to do this more often. 🙂
Heather Johnson says
I LOVE Groundswell. Go at breakfast some time and get the bacon sandwich. I have been dreaming about it since I first had it. It’s a little slice of breakfast heaven.
Cathy Zielske says
Didn’t even know they served breakfast! Well i may have to do that and soon!
Michelle t says
That’s so awesome, Cathy, so inspiring. I’m an introvert, and I had a blip last fall that kept me housebound. Now that I’m more mobile, I do find getting out a little more challenging than before. Even if I’m just hanging out with my girlfriend at her deli. Go Cathy! Michelle t
Michelle t says
Ps… I’m sorry I also wanted to say, Thank you, for your resource library. So looking forward to diving in. Appreciate the time it took to put it together. You rock. Thanks again. Michelle t
Cathy Zielske says
Yay! Glad you like it, Michelle! I’m hoping to make lots more useful things to say thank you to my newsletter subscribers!
Sharon Kanniainen says
Cathy, This is going to sound weird but I am so glad to hear you are an introvert. When we used to meet for conferences when your babies were my babies in kindergarten; you were a “cool mom”. With it, on top of things, understood your kids etc.. Plus I loved your amazing children. I am an introvert too. I was working in a sea of extroverts. I love teaching. I mean LOVE it. The rest of the nonsense that goes along with teaching in a public school I can do without. Anyway I really like your blog and your frankness and you just made another introvert feel like she canned part of the cool group!
Cathy Zielske says
See, Sharon, I think it would be SO hard to be a teacher and an introvert. I mean, you must have been so depleted at day’s end, right?
I’ll tell you what: I am a much cooler mom today than I was back then. That was a very neurotic version of me. I say that in all honesty. I have done a lot of work to be a better parent. Today, I still work very hard to give both Aidan and Cole what they need. I suppose it will not end in this lifetime.
I love that you come here to read. 🙂 I’ll have to tell the kids Ms. K. stops by!
Ann Marshall says
Here’s an “amen/attagirl” to the wisdom and refreshment of coming up for some exterior air, both as a reality check and a reminder of how sweet it is to run back to the cocoon of home base. At heart I’m an introvert but click over to extrovert in most social situations. Split personality or just undecided? Dunno, probably just a situational thing. I’ve been retired for a couple of years now but sometimes think I’d have more discretionary time if I went back to the work arena. I was more self-disciplined then as CEO of a large NGO, juggling the needs of four kids, constantly negotiating with a disengaged husband/father, and running our rambling built-in-1870 house (a.k.a. money pit and the residence of Our Lady of Perpetual Dust). Back then my whole life was Have To; it still is, but what’s mandatory these days is largely of my own doing, a realization that has hit me hard between the eyes. Now I’m trying to figure out how to deal with the biggest–and longest running–challenge of my life: myself.
Cathy Zielske says
Probably the biggest challenge of all, yeah? I think so. 🙂
Debby D says
If it makes you feel any better, income tax snafus happen to those of us in the normal employment world. While my withholdings were fine, my husband’s new employer messed his up and we owe a shit ton of state and federal taxes this year. Sigh.
While still technically better than a big refund, it is a bit painful.
Cathy Zielske says
Well we can share in the owing money pain. 🙂
Jane O'Leary says
aawww date night. I wish my husband would get a grip on that concept! It’s just him and me, no kids, just a cat!!!!
And I want that meat and cheese plate!!!!
Jane
Liz says
I’d love to work from home more… maybe one day… *sigh*
Rachel Del says
You make me laugh. And this is so totally me, too. Introvert and work from home. Totally works for me. I can’t imagine going back to a busy office 🙁
Lisa Michels says
Sometimes leaving the house is overrated…. but I know what you mean. I had a nice half day out with hubby last week for the first time in forever… all because of our rescue foster dog needing his neuter surgery. His pain was my gain I guess. Check out the new Hi-Lo Diner in S. Minne. It was AWESOME! It made me feel normal for a few hours:)
Kristen says
Oh man. This is so fitting for me right now. I left my job about a month ago, and am about to start a new adventure. But in the meantime, this introvert is spending A LOT of time at home. Definitely comfortable for me, but I always need a reminder to get going and get out into the world once in a while. Looks like you had an awesome Friday night! And happy to know that my future can include as much hipster as I want. 😉
Kay Gregory-Clark says
Thanks so much, Cathy, for your new “library.” Haven’t had time to look through it all yet, but I love the Product Resource Binder template. I have started something like this so many times through the years, but it was cumbersome—I tried using the PSE contact sheet function. I think with a template I can actually accomplish this. I don’t see how I can ever catch up to present, though; I have so many digital files!
I’m also an introvert, who turned extro- for a time. I worked freelance & enjoyed getting out for client meetings, etc. I still needed my alone time. But I hated working in an office, in the corporate world! Now, I’ve reverted to an extreme intro again. I LOVE being at home. Yes, an occasional outing is fun, but a hearing problem now sometimes makes it difficult to truly enjoy time out in the world when there’s ambient sound & lots of people.
Since retirement, I’m like Ann M. I’m less disciplined, but I also seem to have more projects to PLAY on. While I was working, I didn’t allow myself to think of personal projects. Now I have a bazillion things I want to do.
One more comment—re: income tax….We’re always hit with a big deficit for our state; feds not so much. I receive a pension from another state where they won’t do the withholding. I know, if we were smart, we’d just put aside that in a special account, huh?
Cheri says
I can so relate. I still work for corporate America, but I do it from home roughly 9 out of 10 work days. The 1 hour commute each way on the days I do have to show up at the office for a meeting is KILLER. I ADORE working from home and even find I somewhat resent the days that my hubby gets to work from home – I like having the place to myself and not having my thoughts interrupted!
cynthia says
haha love catching up on your posts:) yes bring it Wine in a mason jar:) down here in Austin, Texas we call it “aging fringe hipsters” style. cool is timeless:)