This Metis Thing

I am a hopeless romantic.  I know that is probably the corniest thing I could ever admit.  But in a way it speaks of my personality so profound I am embarrassed to admit it.

I love my personal time…as age creeps in…even more so.  I have come to a point where I can pick and choose who I spend my time with.  There are few people that fit that profile.  I need to ‘recharge’ more often than I ever knew.  People drain me.  I can understand now why a reclusive person seems totally happy in their world.  I could so see myself living in that world.  An introvert by choice, I can be both though, but… I prefer my introvert self.

For years, I thought there was something wrong with me.  I faked it.  I smiled, joked and made fun – when I really wanted to be away…from the crowd or group that was garnering my attention.  I was so good at it that very few people understood who I really was.  Some would laugh uncontrollably when I told them my preference was an introvert.  SEE…this is the thing.  Introverts are highly misunderstood.  They are considered boring, uninteresting and having nothing to say.  SO untrue, and unfortunately those who dismiss ‘the introvert’ are those who miss out.  I have a lot to say…to the right audience.  I am not boring…to the right partner and I do not ever believe that I am uninteresting.   I am not a fan of the expression ‘the more the merrier’. A very intelligent HR manager I knew once was fooled totally.  I am good at that.

I love nature.  I love what God gives us in a natural setting.  I was never a fan of ‘bling’.  Give me a rock, a feather, a piece of sea worn wood and I will see beauty.  Not saying I do not succumb to the glam I see in fashion mags or in decorating mags.  But I do have a certain style.  And it is not something you would need to spend a lot of money on.  Maybe it was my childhood.  I did not have access to anything glamorous so I turned to the mundane; the ordinary, to find beauty.  And I found it. I invented the ‘rock collection’ and many scoff at that.  I don’t.  Each and every rock I collect carries a memory and over time its beauty intensifies.  I can tell you where each and every rock came from…and who gave it to me.  Call me crazy…!

Recently I learned that in my ancestry I am of Métis heritage.  I love this.  It somehow explains all the things I never understood before.  Never mind that I loved these things all my life – but now somehow this newfound knowledge explains it.  I decorate with branches, berries and pinecones; driftwood and sea shells.  Yes, it is also the ‘in’ thing to do – but I have been doing it for years – long before it was in vogue.  It was all I had…a long time ago.  I bought feather earrings…not knowing why I liked them and in the 1960’s, a rawhide purse with a fringe.  I wear clothing that is probably not appropriate for someone in their 60’s.  I don’t care.  It is who I am.  My hairdresser is a young girl in her 20’s.  She ‘gets me’.  I make sure she totally understands the ‘look’ I am searching for.  No ‘old lady’ haircuts for me!!  She pats me on the shoulder and assures me that it will never happen.  I am my Mother’s daughter.  My Mother…who was also a Métis.  

This of course will be another blog.  This Métis thing.  I am not alone.  Many are just finding their roots…like me.  It is all good.

The Metis Flag: