Sometimes, I would swear that I need a support group for introverts. Walk into a group meeting, pick a chair. Sit down. Introduce myself.

“Hi, my name is Shannon, and I’m an introvert.”

Except that introvert meeting would never happen, because introverts are all about avoiding those kinds of meetings. We don’t like the feeling of being put on the spot, because it takes us so long to formulate our thoughts. Standing in the middle of a circle of people, with several pairs of eyes on me, is one of the most uncomfortable things I can imagine.

It was a couple of years ago that I first realized I was an introvert. When I first came to terms with it, it felt like I had unlocked a new understanding about my personality. I tend to be quiet and thoughtful, more so as a child, but still in my adulthood I find myself sometimes with so much to say…and yet nothing to say. This is why I like writing. I get to share my thoughts without the immediate judgment of strangers as they tear apart my thoughts and precious words. Of course, I could choose to dwell on the possible judgement of people as they’re reading my articles, but I digress.

When I first read about introverts and how they create their energy by alone time or quality time with a friend or two, it was as if a lightbulb had gone off in my brain. Suddenly, there was a name for my quiet, reserved nature. And it wasn’t “painfully shy”. Introversion was a thing, and I was not alone in it. There are an entire population of us, we who detest small talk but could talk about topics interesting to us for hours on end. We who detest being the center of attention but could give a flawless speech on something we’re psyched about. We who often take so long to formulate a meaningful thought that the conversation has moved on, and so we say little, or nothing at all.

We who enjoy quietly observing our surroundings before jumping into action, taking it all in from afar before joining in the activity. We who’s idea of a perfect night is spending time with loved ones, or by ourselves ensconced in an activity we enjoy. We who tend to perfectionize because we spend so much time in our own heads that we just know we could do better. We who earn nicknames like “the loner”, and may not have many friends, but cling to and would die for the friends we do have.

We who for so long, have been misunderstood, but now are becoming a celebrated breed.

Now that I know more about how people like me function, I function better, because I know what I need to recharge. Instead of being a loner in a crowd, I’m a soldier in an army of introverts, and at long last, we know who we are.

We are the few.

We are the proud.

We are the quiet.

But we have so much to say.