Introverted Musings on the Elevator

Some time last week I read, “Up and Then Down” on the New Yorker online. Elevators have been in my life a lot more lately with this new job and the need to park in a parking garage. When I was working at the other location and using a parking garage I used the stairs all of the time. Not because I was freaked out by the elevator just that working in a smaller property you don’t tend to walk very far compared to the Gaylord Opryland. And I need all the exercise I can get. But in this new place the stairs seem to be for fire escape only and have an alarm on the doors. So, I ride the elevators everyday (and get fatter and fatter).

I had the thought today as my elevator car stopped at every floor on the way down and more people got on, “Would I rather be stuck in an elevator alone or with people I don’t know?”

Hmmm, that’s a tough one. Being an introvert I probably be just fine by myself. Especially, in the mornings. But, would I quickly descend into madness if I were stuck in an elevator with two or three other people who I don’t know. I might be alright if I knew them and liked them, but unknown people? This makes me think about the time I went on a twenty-one day wilderness trip with the school I was attending at the time; the program was much like Outward Bound with bibles. Considering my major was Outdoor Education/Recreation (the program was going through a transition from recreation to education while I was there), I had some confidence about going on this trip. The thing I wasn’t so sure about was spending 21 solid days with other people of which I didn’t know too well. Needless to say, I survived hanging out those folks but I really cherished my three-day solo!

Getting back to the elevator bit I must say that I could probably deal with one person. Over that I would go absolutely mad. Even more so if it had Muzak playing “Girl from Ipanema!”