10 Things You Should Know When Interacting with an INTJ

1. There is Literally Nothing Between the Lines
It’s very simple, but some people just can’t seem to fully grasp the idea of this reality. I say what I mean. That’s it. There are no hidden and obscure messages to be found between the lines. What I say, is what I mean. 

2. Don’t (Try to) Surprise Me
There are different types of surprises, and some are ok. Surprise me with my favorite dessert in my office, I’m all for it. But any surprise that somehow affects my plans is generally unwelcome. 

3. I Actually Do Have Feelings (On Occasion)
Yes, I know, it’s hard to believe. I feel things very deeply, I can be emotional, and I can be very sensitive. The only thing is — all of this happens on the inside, where I can keep it between myself and I. On the outside, I may appear cold, unable to feel or sympathize, and basically a robot.

4. Don’t Get Offended
Remember when I said that I say what I mean? Keep that in mind when you ask for my advice or opinion. I will tell you the truth, without sugarcoating it. 

5. Don’t Worry About Offending Me
It goes both ways. I don’t get offended if someone tells me I’ve done something wrong, just explain the problem so that I can fix it. If I ask for your opinion on something, I expect you to tell me what you really think. 

6. Be Real, or Get Out
I recognize manipulation, lies, and bullshit miles away and have zero tolerance for it. I will not explain or say anything most times, since calling someone on it usually leads nowhere. I’ll just walk away and put a hard stop to any existing relationship when this happens.

7. An Argument is Not a Fight
If you say something that I disagree with, I may tell you what I think. You’ll defend your stance, and I will challenge it. This is not a fight, it’s more of a debate. You can change my mind if you have a strong argument that makes sense to me. I really do want to know why you have a certain opinion on something, I’m not just picking a fight with you.
Keep in mind though, if you say something that is just wrong, I will just correct you and provide supporting facts/evidence as proof. I will not argue if you continue to stand by a wrong statement, since I have already corrected you and do not like to repeat myself.

8. Efficiency is Life
I am an efficient person, and I like to make sure everything is done in the most efficient way possible. My love for efficiency means that anything inefficient can literally piss me off, especially if I am ignored or brushed off when I provide a better way of doing things. 

9. This is My Face
Seriously, do not tell me to smile. Actually, don’t tell anyone to smile unless you’re a photographer or something. That’s just disrespectful. I am expressionless most of the time, I am not sick, I am not angry, I am not sad, nothing is wrong. Stop asking.

10. Alone Time is the Best Time
I need my alone time every day. Spending time with other people, even people I care about, is exhausting. I enjoy being alone and lost in my thoughts or imagination, I enjoy doing things alone like reading, writing, playing music, etc. 

The Blacksmith's Son

A young man went to seek an important position at a large printing company. He passed the initial interview and was going to meet the director for the final interview. The director saw his resume, it was excellent. And asked,'

"Have you received a scholarship for school?" The boy replied, "No".
'It was your father who paid for your studies? '' Yes.' He replied.
'Where does your father work? ' 'My father is a Blacksmith'

The Director asked the young man to show him his hands.
The young man showed a pair of hands soft and perfect.
'Have you ever helped your parents at their job? '
'Never, my parents always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, he can do the job better than me.

The director said:
'I have got a request: When you go home today, go and wash the hands of your father and then come see me tomorrow morning.'

The young man felt his chance to get the job was high.

When he returned to his house he asked his father if he would allow him to wash his hands.

His father felt strange, happy, but with mixed feelings and showed his hands to his son. The young man washed his hands, little by little. It was the first time that he noticed his father's hands were wrinkled and they had so many scars. Some bruises were so painful that his skin shuddered when he touched them.

This was the first time that the young man recognized what it meant for this pair of hands to work every day to be able to pay for his studies. The bruises on the hands were the price that his father payed for his education, his school activities and his future.

After cleaning his father's hands the young man stood in silence and began to tidy and clean up the workshop. That night, father and son talked for a long time.

The next morning, the young man went to the office of the director.
The Director noticed the tears in the eyes of the young man when He asked him,

'Can you tell me what you did and what you learned yesterday at your house?'
The boy replied: 'I washed my father's hands and when I finished I stayed and cleaned his workshop.'

'Now I know what it is to appreciate and recognize that without my parents, I would not be who I am today. By helping my father I now realize how difficult and hard it is to do something on my own. I have come to appreciate the importance and the value in helping my family.

The director said, "This is what I look for in my people. I want to hire someone who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the hardship others go through to accomplish things, and a person who realizes that money is not his only goal in life".

'You are hired'.

A child that has been coddled, protected and given everything he or she wants, develops a mentality of "I have the right" and will always put himself or herself first, ignoring the efforts of parents, family and friends. If we are this type of protective parent are we really showing love or are we helping to destroy our children?

You can give your child their own room in a big house, good food, a computer, tablet, cell phone, and a big screen TV, but when you're washing the floor or painting a wall, children need to experience that too.

After eating, have them wash the dishes with their brothers and sisters, let them fold laundry or cook with you, pull weeds or mow the lawn. You are not doing this because you are poor and can't afford help. You are doing this because you love them and want them to understand certain things about life.

Children need to learn to appreciate the amount of effort it takes to do a job right. They need to experience the difficulties in life that people must overcome to be successful and they must learn about failure to be able to succeed.

Children must also learn how to work and play with others and that they will not always win, but they can always work harder to reach their goals. If they've done their best, then they can take pride in all the effort they put forth.

Life is about giving and serving and these qualities are taught in our homes.

Illustrated Guide to Gun Control

Mommy's Little Monster

So all these commercials for psych meds say "may cause thoughts of suicide" etc., is it that much of a leap to think if you give it to hormonal young men steeped in violent video games that it may cause thoughts of homicide? Why is it politically incorrect to ask if these meds just might be a problem, especially since this new behavior seemed to increase in correlation with the trend of medicating kids and teens. Perhaps since it doesn't fit the narrative of those in control of the media and it's much safer to not tick off Big Pharma's lobbying machine. Or perhaps many of these parents are giving these meds to their own kids and refusing to consider that they may be creating a monster for an "easier to teach/parent" kid, then fearing the gun the way they do as they imagine what their own offspring is capable of.

Coming soon...

I find writing to be a great outlet and stress reliever.  Obviously I'd not been relieving a lot of stress when I ended up flat on my back in the hospital a couple years ago from heart failure.

So, now that so much in life has changed (for the better) and so much more is bubbling up in the brain (good stuff) I want to return to writing to get it into a tangible format.  Not that I really expect anyone to read it regularly, or at all, but rather so I can at least reap the benefits.

Another consideration is that perhaps if I use blogging, etc., it'll redirect my energy from social media and into a more positive realm.

So, we'll see how long the gap is between this post and the next one on this blog or the main Provencio one to see if things went according to plan.

"Those in possession of absolute power can not only prophesy and make their prophecies come true, but they can also lie and make their lies come true." - Eric Hoffer

Back in the Saddle Again

I've gone a few years (several?) without a Dual Sport motorcycle.  My last was a KLR 650 and Nikki wouldn't ride on it so I decided a BMW GS would be a better choice.  I let the KLR go using that as an excuse.

One of the things I missed the most was being able to go blow off a little steam at lunch.  Sure I could ride the Harley, but it really wasn't a terribly fun bike to ride.  You'd feel more exhausted after a ride than before (and not in a good way.)

Next came and went a couple other bikes, and finally I got a taste of BMW.  Oh.My.Goodness!  Motorcycling became fun again!  But, it wasn't a GS.  I went to look at them and Nikki saw the luxurious trappings of the BMW K1200LT so we demoed one and now we own one.

We love that bike but I kept looking at those dirt roads each time I passed one remembering past adventures.  Then it finally happened and we welcomed a BMW GS into the stable *FINALLY*!

The new-to-us GS

This means those lunchtime adventures have returned.  And, since today was a horribly terrible Monday, it was as good of a day as any to head up to Bloomer Hill. 

Bloomer Hill used to fit in at just about an hour from out the door to back into the door when the KLR was around so I was down for it.  Nevermind the storm clouds, I'm gonna DO THIS!  And despite the construction delay, I did it and here is the proof...

Bald Rock in the distance

Looking down at what I waited so long for

The view that melts away stress

The bike is a lot heavier than a KLR, and while I could have softened the suspension behavior a little, I didn't want to have to retweak it again.  Heading up the hill left me with screaming knees and forearms that felt on fire, but that's just pain leaving the body, right?

As I got there I probably should have turned around to stay under my hour (hope no bosses are reading this, but in my defense, I put in overtime and will be working later tonight!)  But, I had to climb the tower and so glad I did.

I could see the storm I was about to get a taste of, the poor lake at record low levels, and the lush forest around me.  As I sat there all I could hear was the wind through the tower and trees.  Well, a couple random gunshots too, but just about three or four.  The tower gently swayed in the fierce winds but this thing has been there for 89 years without falling and I'm not narcissistic enough to think I'm gonna bring it down.  It's almost comforting in a way just sitting up there gently moving as it has for so long.  

But every good thing must come to an end and I climbed back down, posted a quick Instagram, and texted my honey back as the rain started to drip.

While I hadn't seen a soul on the way up the Jeep road, the Encina Grande way was well traveled by the growers and their characteristic Toyota 4x4s. Luckily the rain was keeping the dust down to I could put some speed on it.  About half way down the rain turned into a downpour and the new Shoei performed well.

When I got home I was nearly 20 minutes late, but I worked 40 minutes over and will put in more time tonight so I don't feel bad.  I definitely felt much better after a little lunchtime adventure though and got to feel out the bike a little bit.  The bike performed well on its first off-road run.  I also discovered the hand guards I ordered will be appreciated but at the same time I discovered the right hand grip warmer isn't working.  But, still extremely happy and thankful to finally be back on a dual sport, especially a BMW GS.