the phrase that pays

Often I find there are phrases that define my day.  They so perfectly capture the unusual and interesting moments.  I generally don’t see them coming – a coworker, friend or spouse will spit out the perfect comic zinger, raise just the right question, or a size up a moment in a way that gets to the heart of the matter.  However they happen, they delight me.

Here are the phrases that defined this week.

Sunday:  I think Pat is stalking us. 

Monday:  Q: How do we create an intimate learning environment for this bird exhibit? 
A: Hey big boy, wanna see my woodpecker?

Tuesday: That outfit is sort of Mardi Gras meets Where the Wild Things Are.

Wednesday: Well, how many snakes would fit in the basket?

Thursday: The doctor lied! He’s really a Canadian!

Friday: We should all get down, down and dirty for the community.

Saturday: Go Sentinel baseball!

the amiables

I show my emotions.
I am a good team player.
I am adept at integrating conflicting opinions into a synthesis that all parties can support.
I am willing to do the unglamorous, out-of-the-limelight work.
I am very friendly in a low key way.

These are traits I learned apply to me – an amiable. Our staff engaged in a behavior styles workshop today with the goal of understanding our own uniqueness, to thereby understand and communicate better with those around us.  (This is the part where my inner cynic wants to insert the proverbial finger and gag.) 

I have taken these communication-style trainings before: the Myers Briggs assessment, the “what color am I” assessment, and various others.  Generally I feel that my category changes depending on my mood and my willingness to be honest.  I assign value judgments to my outcomes, generally negative ones.  Being an INFJ just doesn't feel like a good thing to be. 

I have to admit, today was a surprise.  Looking at the relatively short list of questions, I assumed this survey would stereotype or misrepresent the real me.  But it was spot on. Scarily spot on. I am an Amiable. This means I am diplomatic, empathetic, and a good conciliator.  I respect processes and like structured situations. This also means I avoid conflict to keep the peace, may be guarded when asked for my opinion, and can be indecisive.  But all in all, I feel the good outweigh the negative.  I am assigning this a positive value judgment. Booyah!

What surprised me most were my coworkers.  For weeks, many of them presented an overwhelming lack of onboard-edness.  They were skeptical just anticipating all the touchy-feely situations, having the spotlight cast on their personal needs, or at the very least, the non-efficiency these group activities inevitably produce (you know, the "this is a complete waste of time and I have waaay better things to do" naysayers).  What surprised me was all the laughter, the sharing between people who ordinarily have minimal interaction, and the “I know, me too!” exclamations overheard round the room.  Perhaps it was the funny, but approachable facilitator or perhaps it was the cookies.  Whatever it was that sparked us, the group seemed to buy in to the exercise.  At least most of us.  Certainly all the amiables.

Participating in this exercise has infused me with a ridiculous sense of all-knowing.  I looked at the other groups and thought, “oh yeah, she is a Driver,” or “he is definitely an Analytical.” I thought about my friends and family and assigned categories to them all, even the pets.  In our respective behavioral groups the similarities became clearer.  My group really did share a low key friendliness that I found quite comfortable. I hate to admit it, but we selected for our group logo a ying yang with two smiley faces (where is that proverbial finger now?).  And I heard from across the room: “look at that group of amiables. They really are the nicest people at the museum.”  Silly as it may be, I took this as a badge of merit.  I’ve decided it’s not a bad thing to be nice.  The world could do with a little more niceness all around.

blue gold

“The flesh is strong, my spirit's stronger” – Indigo Girls

On my desk today were two chunks of solid indigo dye.

The dye was recently on display in the Weaving Heritage exhibit at the Burke Museum as an example of organic material used to dye textiles. The exhibit featured masterpieces from the museum’s permanent collection, giving visitors a rare opportunity to view incredible textiles from  Indonesia, Micronesia, Japan, Mexico, Guatemala, China, Tibet, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Native American tribes (Salish, Tlingit, Haida, Navajo and Hopi).

Indigo is one of the oldest dyes used for coloring textiles and has been used since the time of ancient civilizations around the world.  I’ve been pondering the notion that people thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, Greece, and across Europe, Asia and Africa used similar materials to produce deep vivid blues.  These blue chunks are a reminder of a centuries-ago past, when indigo was a vital part of international commerce and cultural heritage. Long before synthetic dyes were created to color our blue jeans, indigo chunks like these impacted the entire known world and were an incredibly valuable commodity – a true luxury item known as ‘blue gold.’

Over the last few months, this indigo was enjoyed from behind Plexiglas by thousands of visitors to the museum, and enjoyed by 20 or so looky-loos who stopped by my office today to check them out with an unobstructed view.  I’ve certainly enjoyed having these fragile blue nuggets around and thinking about their legacy, but now my job is to pack them safely for travel.  I added a little ethafoam and acid-free tissue for support, stabilized them with cotton twill tape, packed inside a polypropylene bag within a padded shipping box, and voila! – they are ready for their next adventure.  Bon voyage, indigo!