Paradox is defined as; "any person, thing or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature."
This being said; my life is currently the epitome of "paradox".
You see, I work in Customer Services. I get paid to work a front desk where people come, pay me to get into various places on property and go on their merry, or not so merry ways. However, the paradox comes into play when one discovers that I really, really don't like people.
It's not that I don't like ALL people. I have friends. And I could even make more if I felt so inclined. (Luckily I don't.) But when it comes to nameless people that I have only the briefest of contact with. I really don't like them.
Now, you may be asking yourself; "Madison. If you hate people so much, why'd you WILLINGLY get a job where you would have to deal with a wide variety of people and be exposed to some of the worst the human race has to offer?"
Excellent question.
The answer is . . . well- I did it because I have a hard time interacting with people in general. I've blogged about my introvertedness on more than one occasion. And the blog itself is named "The Hermit Files" for goodness sakes. I thought that if I took a job that not only forced me to interface with co-workers, but random pedestrians as well, I would be able to interact on a normal "social" level which would no doubt advance me through the ranks of my peers and ultimately help me succeed at life.
In a way, this job has done just that. I have been finding it easier and easier to not only interact with people, but read the subtle clues imbedded in their body language to the point that I secretly refer to myself as; "the people whisperer." On top of that, I've been gaining more control over my own body language and have been using it to my advantage. For example, when dealing with an obstinate guest, my tone may be pleasant, but if they're smart enough, they can see the raw fury bubbling just under the surface. Sadly in most cases, they aren't clever enough to discern it. But it's there nonetheless.
In conclusino- in a lot of ways, it has been very good for my personal growth.
However, it has also been just a tad detrimental because ultimately, it's made my opinion of people in general, which we've already established as being particularly low, do an olympian style dive off the deep end and down 20,000 leagues under the sea.
And on that note, my good people, concludes my rant for the week. Savor it. I know I have.
