Underneath Stories

This story was via the inspiration of Jay Kantor's questions and our different styles and personalities from his THREE MINUTE READS...

Have you ever wondered if readers could "see" your personality seeping out of the words you write down on each page? Or if they could imagine a picture, formed like an iceberg, which lies in a deep, untold "underneath" in each of your stories? Some of those followers might understand not only what they have been "told," but also that which has been left unsaid and just "felt."

The personality that we show and the personality that we feel can be distinctively different. Our stories, in our mixed creation of life experiences, imagination, and secret longings are shouted out in an unspoken language without the hope of others ever hearing the sound and symphony of our verbal voices. We draw color and shade, darkness and light on a strewn-out random canvas of adjectives, adverbs, and all the such.

Each Creator, with a different style, a different flavor, a different ability to be self-aware and translate. Each reader, with a different affinity and a different ability to appreciate our distinct and unique personalities. Those personalities become our "style of creation."

I ask myself, "do others recognize my personality in my creative style? Have I been intimate enough? Too intimate? In to me see... Can readers identify my writings as an introvert? Can they see the world as an introvert sees? Do my words help them to do just that?"

Introverts, according to this article written from a neuroscientist's research: think more, focus longer, are gifted in a specific field, and do the "right" thing:

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/07/neuroscientist-shares-coveted-skills-that-set-introverts-apart-their-brains-work-differently.html

What is an introvert? To be fair, I'm not extremely shy and I can engage in all the mandatory social interactions that life requires. I also comfortably lectured to college students and enjoyed doing so, but only because I was confident enough in the content of Nursing practice and my expertise in the field. I just require a great deal of calm and peaceful space to regenerate. I don't seek out adventure or chit chat. And I am a private person except in my written form. I do have a few close friends, but to be honest, I don't do well keeping in touch. I am an introvert!

Navigating in a world that is so "sided" with so little tolerance from either side has caused me to draw the shades and isolate further into myself, too. I am safe within that perimeter. Writing is a healing ointment to caress my wounded spirit. (I write from my heart with no punches left behind. Maybe just some partially hidden bruises remain, though.)

I explain my personality in this poem to a friend:

But how did I get this way? Maybe this would be best understood from a story I wrote about my first decade of life:

Underneath that story is a first born child, an only child for the first seven years of her life. She had no buffers in lieu of siblings or everyday cousins nearby, so she had to learn to navigate the chaos of having two birth order "babies" as parents who loved to party; and she did it all by her lonesome. She did that by keen observation and became somewhat of a behavioral psychologist, in doing so. She craved normalcy. She was a little angry because of the alcohol and immaturity that were her parents lifestyle. She was sure the stork had landed her in the wrong home. Although scientifically hard-wired in utero, this story is how an introvert learned to survive and navigate.

Another story I wrote in progression of my inward personality and understanding of it, was of the struggle I had at age seven when trying to convert from a Spanish to English education...that experience was a trainwreck:

Here is an excerpt which explains this underneath: "But what I learned about myself in retrospect was that I didn't like the feeling of humiliation or shame. I was headstrong in my decisions, even at seven years of age. I don't remember feeling "dumb," just dumbfounded at my predicament. I set out to learn to read and write English with a vengeance. Hence, it became one of my strongest academic accomplishments after that. And I became a lover of the English language and books."

For a challenge, in a work of fiction I did, here I find my introvert within. I find the struggles of my inner child who doesn't quite fit in, yet who craves a listening heart. The layer of underneath is unearthed.

There are times I go completely dark and I write in poems rather than of direct circumstances. Those are my most private hurts. They are not unearthed. They even frighten me.

My style in writing and in the decoration of my home has been described as "eclectic" by more than one person. According to quora.com: "Eclectic" is generally considered a positive word. It is used to describe a person or thing that is diverse and broad in their tastes, interests, or sources of inspiration. Being eclectic often suggests a well-rounded and open-minded approach, which is typically viewed as a positive quality.

I suppose being a closet rule breaker (eclectic) is where I'm most comfortable. I've put objects and words down where it most pleases me and it just "feels right." No regrets. It's my style, what can I say?

I am curious if you have found your personal underneath? Are you also an introvert? Or are you my opposite, deriving your strength and peace from being in the midst of hustle and bustle, chatting away, and passionate with interactions and marvelous adventures? Does your writing reflect this? How would you describe your style? I would love your thoughts and examples of your own personality and style in the comments. (Leave me a particular story...or two...that tells me who you are.)

And thank you to the creators I have followed. I think I might be able to recognize your personality and style even if your names were anonymous...