Next generation
Leslie Miller
Miller at pp.okstate.edu
Tue Jun 17 08:34:52 PDT 1997
HL Octavia de Verdon said:
> I wholeheartedly agree that newcomers should be greeted and made to feel
> wanted. Everyone needs to feel accepted.
> But some folks are better about speaking to strangers than others. Contray
> to popular belief, I am very shy and feel uncomfortable around people I don't
> know. While I work very hard at this "quirk", many times I just don't feel
> up to it. Now if that makes me a BAD OLDTIMER well so be it.! I'm willing
> to bet that there are many of us out there.
Thank you, Octavia, for saying what I have been thinking throughout
this discussion. I have held many offices in my shire, but
hospitaler is not one of them, and there's a reason for that. I am
*extremely* uncomfortable talking to strangers most of the time.
It's not something that comes easily to me, and frankly, it's not
something that I'm particularly good at.
I realize that this does not relieve me of my responsibility to be
open and friendly to newcomers (and yes, I do think of it as a
responsibility, particularly as an officer), and I do try.... but
people should understand that some of us oldtimers may appear a bit
distant and unfriendly not because we don't care, and not because
we're really snooty and clique-ish, but rather because we're simply
shy and uncomfortable around strangers. That's not an excuse; just
an explanation.
One thing my shire does occasionally is introduce everyone at
populace meetings. I don't know if this would be feasible for large
groups, but it seems pretty effective in a smaller setting. It gives
newcomers a chance to introduce themselves in a formalized setting
and announce that they are new, if they so desire. (Sometimes I
think newcomers are overlooked simply because people who attend
meetings off and on may not realize that they *are* newcomers,
especially if they show up in garb and look like they have a clue
about what is going on.) I don't know if I wouldn't find
this a bit intimidating, personally, but it does give everyone their
moment in the spotlight with an opportunity to learn names and faces.
HL Gunhilda
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