I Am

I am a Gopher Tortoise. What the heck is that you ask? Yeah I asked the same thing when I found out I was a Gopher Tortoise. A GT is someone who works hard, but their work helps others, and so sometimes others take advantage of your good nature. Wondering what kind of animal you are, well look no further than the "What Animal Are You" book. I own it. It's a throwback to my Marriage, Family, and Human Development days. I can't resist a personality test. Even one so cheaply made as to be false in their results since the person taking it can project almost any image or be just plain delusional.

Then last night while perusing the local library, I stumbled upon "The Career Within You". It differentiates the nine major work personalities, their strengths, their weaknesses, and what jobs best suit them. Being me I checked out the book to take the quiz. I am "the Asserter". Additionally I am red, I am ENTJ, I am bull/owl, I'm close minded, conscientious, extroverted, disagreeable, but calm. This calm thing is funny, because most people who know me see the serious energy I bring with me everywhere and are sometimes confused by this adjective. Yet in a psychological sense it refers to anxiety, nervousness, and ability to be easily agitated. I am none of these things.

But two nights ago as the phone started ringing at 11:45pm waking me from a deep and restful sleep, I wondered is someone hurt just briefly. I answered, "Hello", and was promptly greeted by the cheery and not sleepy voice of my sister, a Sea Otter, two hours earlier in Utah. She started babbling along at a rapid fire pace of which my foggy brain tried to unscramble to a stream of conscious thought. Not that she was talking any faster than we normally do when we talk, but I was not in a normal state. She quickly asked if I had been sleeping to which I replied "No". Only moments later was I left thinking, what the heck? Yes I was asleep. But even in my haze despite all the things I am, I would never want to make someone feel bad, even if it is an inconvenience to me. Blast my Gopher Tortoise ways.

So there we sat chatting because a random question from something we had discussed a couple weeks ago had popped into her head and she wanted immediate relief from her "anxious worrying". I answered her question only partially because I am still holding out information intentionally, and we chatted for several more minutes before she said I'll let you go back to sleep. Can't fool my best friend even if I try. I'm just a vulnerable sucker when sleepiness hits. Upon hanging up I stayed awake for what felt like forever but was probably five minutes, trying to unwind from the serious energy my family consistently brings to the table.

Who are you?