INFJAG

Saturday, August 29, 1998

A few days ago, I joined the INFJ-L email list. This list is mainly for those who are that personality type, according to the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Inventory. I was surprised to see that there was a gathering planned of list members, apparently in the Seattle area! What synchronicity! I contacted the person who seemed to be hosting the INFJAG (the INFJ Annual Gathering), and sent mail to the list, asking for details. Bill replied, filling me in on the plans. Today looked good for me to join them.

Following Bill's instructions, I drove down to the southern part of King County. I stopped at the Albertsons grocery store a few blocks away from my destination, and bought myself a sandwich, and some sodas and candy as a contribution to the festivities. I was bugged by the failure of this grocery store to have Diet Coke, cold, in cans, with caffeine, and I had to make do with the unleaded variety.

I arrived at the modest suburban house and was greeted at the door by Bill. I came inside and met Ken, Alicia (both pictured on the left), Donna, and Chaz. We sat in the family room and chatted away. I was aware of the paradox of joining an INFJ event where most knew each other, at least a bit, from email. I was so new to the list that I hadn't had that chance, but the opportunity to dive right in seemed meant to be. I found out who was local, and who had traveled to get there, who posts and who mostly lurks. Of course, I've had several experiences lately with meeting folks in person who are known to me online, so I talked about that, which led to discusssion of this journal and other online journals.

Conversation continued throughout the afternoon, with people taking breaks as needed to go outside for a few minutes, or nap, or read, or otherwise repose themselves. List stories and gossip were big topics, of course, along with general type discussion, politics, the death penalty, shocking family stories, the roots and variety of BDSM practices and preferences, movies, and much, much more.

Ken, another local list member, announced his prospective arrival by phone, but he had a long bus trip ahead of him. In the meantime, the conversation continued. At some point we moved from the family room in the back of the house, to the living/dining room at the front, which was a bit cooler. I also ran out to my car and got my folding japanese fan.

After Ken arrived, we had a lot of discussion about where to go for dinner. Finally we decided on a local family-style Mexican restaurant, Torrero's. I had a very good Mexican pizza. That's a dish where you never know quite what you are going to get, but this one was very like the good ones, done on a flour tortilla, that I used to get at a Mexican restaurant coincidentally called Anita's, back in Northern Virginia. During the course of the day and evening, I did pass my camera around so others could play with it, and I could be in some of the pictures, but this was the only one that I showed up in.

At my suggestion, we went on a walk when we got back to Bill's house. This turned into more of a trek than I was imagining! Bill took us through his neighborhood and into a rural area, down a long hill, then onto a bike path through a park. This area will remain undeveloped because the power lines run through there, and it's a flood plain. It was darker than twilight as we emerged from the trees and started down the long hill, so I pointed out the bats overhead to Ken and Ken. (What are the odds of two guys called Ken being at the same gathering? It's not such a common name!) We walked along the bike path until it was pitch dark, and we arrived at a little bridge over a creek. Bill joked that that gave a sense of purpose and closure for the walk, and now we could walk back. Sure enough, going back up that hill was a bitch! I accomplished it, though, while Ken and Ken were speculating on humanity's reason for existence behind me. I think that Bill, Alica, Chaz and Donna were talking about Seinfeld ahead of me.

Just as we were arriving back at Bill's house, his friend Rita was pulling up outside, with some computer hardware that he was working on for her. She has an importing business, and works as a reader and clairvoyant. She talked quite a lot about the energy she felt from us, but said she didn't read people unless invited. Then she asked me if I was connected to France somehow (I returned a non-committal answer). I did admit to doing some writing on the web, and she predicted great things from that. I don't know how this goes with into not doing readings unless invited, but I wasn't perturbed by what she said.

I really enjoyed meeting everyone, and gave most a hug as I left. This hugging must have rubbed off from my fannish friends, since I don't think I was prone to such at earlier stages of my life. So be it, hugs are good where not unwelcome or nonconsensual.

Rather than give Ken a ride as far as Renton or downtown, I at first offered a ride to the Bellevue transit center, then when he said he lived near the Crossroads Mall, I said I'd take him all the way. He had earlier thought he'd have to leave directly after dinner, since the buses don't run that often on Saturday nights, and it seemed a shame for him to leave after just an hour or two, after spending hours on the trip to join us!

*     *     *     *     *     *     *    *

So I was in the Overlake area, and it was about midnight. I was tempted to drop by Jason's place, but I didn't have his number with me, and the scenario of an ex-girlfriend arriving in the middle of the night, unannounced, didn't seem like one that I wanted to act out, so I got on the highway and drove home.

I sent him mail when I was home and online. He replied, saying that he'd just been putzing around his place all day. I replied, asking him to get offline and call me right then so we could chat (it's been a long time since we talked) but he hung up to check if I had left him a message, and forgot to dial in again so he didn't get that mail till morning. So I hung up, and went to bed when he didn't call! Oh, well, I was very tired by then, anyway....

So it was a slightly frustrating end to a long but fun day.

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