A-Z Day 20: Quiet, Quinn and Queen

Today's letter is brought to you courtesy of the letter Q.   Q - Question? Querulous? Quotation, Quintessential? Quackery? Quango? No, I've decided to delve into the Greenpatch archive for a recycling session of every entry tagged with 'Q' There aren't many, but I hope you'll agree that what they lack in Quantity they more than make up for in Quality.

Oh - and if you disagree with me, please be kind enough to keep Quiet about it. Yes, two years ago, I was musing and enthusing about Susan Cain's book Quiet - The Powers of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking. 

Six months earlier,  Here Be Dragons - the bearded variety, as I discovered how helpful Quinn Creative's reflections of jealousy were to me in the place I was in at the time. Her book Raw Art Journalling has been another major source of inspiration over the years. Thank you, Quinn.

Finally from Quinn to...? Go on - have a guess.  Have a peek at the photo (above) if you're in need of a clue. Yes! It was Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee. So, for today's musical interlude, there can only be one choice and you'll find it here. Sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of the late, great Freddy Mercury and Queen, live at Wembley Stadium in July 1986. It's a Kind of Magic. I can vouch for that, given that I was there, well -  either that evening or the one after. And in case you're wondering, no, you'll not see me (big hair and all) in the crowd. Given that I was five months pregnant at the time, we'd spashed out on a couple of the posh seats. Quiet it certainly wasn't!

On My Bookshelves - Quiet - The Power of Introverts

...in a World That Can't Stop Talking. I've  been extolling the virtues of  Susan Cain's   bestseller to our son. This call for recognition of the underestimated and most definitely undervalued power of the introvert in modern day society certainly speaks to me, even if, like one of Amazon reviewers,  I'd rate her wonderful TED talk as more immediately accessible. (I remember blogging at the time that I wanted to stand up and cheer!).  I'd also question whether the statistics and situations  quoted are quite as relevant in the UK, where I suspect we figure rather more heavily on the Introvert scale. I can remember thinking this too about some references in Adam McHugh's research on Introversion in the church. Maybe I've not attended the 'right' churches but  from what I've experienced so far, I'd hazard that introverts are quite highly represented in UK church communities. Though I'll admit that Susan's account of her visit to Saddleback Church together with McHugh had me smiling and shuddering in equal measure. Just reading it made me want to run for the hills.  A weekly attendance of 20,000 people? That'd be like taking part in  a Greenbelt Festival Communion every Sunday.  Just imagine that. No, don't. Aaagh!

Obviously the constant references to American corporate culture aren't ones that would resonate with me hence  I'm not finding the book the easiest of reads so far. Nevertheless, it has some gems in there and provided I can keep on transcending the difficulties, I'm sure I'll find the effort well worth it. It's heartening to learn that civil rights protester Rosa Parks was introvert -  described in her obituaries as being "timid and shy," yet with "the courage of a lion." She possessed "radical humility" and "quiet fortitude." Or to read  of a high-flying tax lawyer's struggles with speaking extemporaneously; one of my constant bugbears. There is hope...