Life is too short to always live in it. Watching a movie helps us watch life, to notice its richness and, with the expanded view, to perhaps take a different path.

In case you haven’t noticed, I am not blogging much at all.  I’ve decided it’s time for me to accept reality (it is oh so hard) and take the radical step of stopping the thing I’m not doing.  But I will keep doing the things I do, one of which is to send out my Wake Up Calls — if you aren’t getting them (don’t worry, they don’t come often), get on my list at www.wakingdesire.com. And I’ve got a Twitter account where I occasionally post quotes and odds and ends. I promise you, though, that I will not keep up with technology. I’ve decided to live my life at the pace of my life.

I invite you to do the same.

Warmly,

Laurie

Kitty:  Dr. Talbot says that I’m an intravoyt (spelled phonetically to capture Jean Harlow’s marvelous pronunciation) and you’re an extravoyt.

My apologies to visitors: there is something wrong with my blog alerts — been buried in a writing project so haven’t written here for ages (ironic, huh?). Also, a great book — Hyperculture by Stephen Bertman — inspired me to sloooow down on all this electronic media. That said, I don’t want to miss your comments. Keep ‘em coming — I’ll be better. Mea culpa, Laurie

To my knowledge (and this can be challenged!), the first use of the terms ”introvert” and “extrovert” in a movie occurred in Dinner at Eight, which came out in 1933. The descriptions were surprisingly accurate, and they were delivered by an unlikey source: Jean Harlow’s ditzy blonde, Kitty Packard. Here’s the setup and dialogue:

Kitty (Jean Harlow) is in bed eating bon bons. Her husband, Dan Packard, played by Wallace Beery, is questioning why she doesn’t go out.

Dan:  I do things and get out and get to moving…

Kitty:  Dr. Talbot says that I’m an intravoyt (spelled phonetically to capture Jean Harlow’s marvelous pronunciation) and you’re an extravoyt.

Dan:  A what?!

Kitty:  An intravoyt, you dummy! And that’s why I gotta be quiet a good deal and have time to reflect in.

Dan:  What do you have to reflect about? I have to think and act at the same time!

I truly couldn’t have said it better myself.

Great job, D.B.!  

And to top it off, you found an earlier reference to introvert that I had missed: Local Boy Makes Good, from 1931. You are correct that introvert is not used in conjuction with extrovert in the movie, but it is used in isolation in a derogatory manner, referring to an emotionally withholding person – an ”emotional introvert.”

So D.B. is the winner of a signed copy of INTROVERT POWER. Well deserved!

D.B., please send your address to me at lahelgoe@suddenlink.net, and I’ll get your book in the mail. Meanwhile, I’m putting Local Boy Makes Good in my Netflix queue…

Thanks to all of you who participated!

Best, Laurie

The Snake Pit?
David and Lisa?

Best,
Meg B.

Ooh, more movies for me to check out. But this movie came out much earlier…

Thanks, Meg!  Keep um coming!

Okay,  just checked the comments on my last entry. Things are getting interesting and we’re getting closer. Check out the comments for clues…

Laurie

Keep trying, people. For incentive, I’ll send a free, signed book to the one with the correct answer!