Hi, my name's Alyssa...

There are a LOT of occasions in my life when I have to tell a small room of people about myself. Usually these are associated with my singles' ward (I attend new member meeting on a regular basis for my calling), but we also do a lot of self-intros for my classes in school at the beginning of each semester. Professors find it entertaining, I think? Anyways, I thought it might be fun to post what I usually say as of late and the psychology (I guess) behind it. This is because the way I sum up my life in a few sentences is probably pretty indicative of what I find most important. Or something.


1 :: Hi, my name's Alyssa. No last name, on purpose, for anonymity's sake. I kind of hate it when someone, like, adds me on Facebook after only one interaction or something. (Yes, I screen my FB friends.) Also, I can't say "I'm Alyssa" because then people hear "I'm Melissa" which is not my name.

2 :: I'm from here in Utah, currently living with my family. I say this because at school people are from all over the place and so being from Utah isn't "cool." But if you are living with your family then almost anyone from elsewhere will suddenly be jealous that you get to see Mom every day and have free laundry and free food and all that jazz. But really I don't say it to make people jealous (that's just a nice side effect); I say it because it is a huge blessing to be able to live at home, and I want to recognize that.

3 :: I go to BYU, studying math ed. And I have to really pronounce MATH ed or else everyone hears "meth ed" which is not what I am studying. Of course I have specify BYU because the BYU/UVU split is about 50/50 round these parts, and people (including me) have a tendency to assume that we all go to the same school. Which is all fun and games until you're trying to compare classes and realize it would literally be impossible to ever have the same professor anyways! Heh, heh, yeah...I mean, I've never done that before...uh...

4 :: I also work at the floral shop on campus. This counteracts the often automatic (and actually true) assumption that I am super analytic* because I am studying math. I also give a winning smile after this line because, hello, I'm in love with my job.

5 :: This is usually where whoever's in charge has asked for an answer to a get-to-know-you question. If it's about hobbies: piano. If it's about ice cream: chocolate. If it's about super powers: invisibility. If it's about something-we-don't-already-know: "I am abnormally lucky."


And there you have it. Me in 5 sentences.

I think it's interesting to think about how these sorts of bios are rarely interesting. I mean, I could spice mine up a bit--include a few jokes and a little canned laughter--but then it would just be weird. 

Why do we use such surface-level things as our first impressions?
It would mean far more if I told somebody about my latest challenge or my best embarrassing moment. We'd form a real connection real quick if we exchanged things like this. 
But we all walk around hiding what matters and throwing around what doesn't.

I suppose it's idealistic to suppose everyone cares enough. Heck, I know I don't always care enough to listen to everybody's stories all the time. 
I think it makes life easier somehow. 
But I also think it's a flaw in human nature.
It may be easier to not care, but we learn infinitely more if we do.

Then again, it may not be that people don't care, but just that people don't have time to care.
That feels at least a little better. And I think it's more accurate.

Anyways, these are the things I think about almost every time I give this little speech, but not in as morbid of a way as this post suddenly sounds. I really do just find it fascinating. 


Question for the class: What's your favorite thing to hear in a self-introduction?? I shall add it to mine!

I am posting this picture because they are changing up the scenery round this part of campus but I really really liked when it looked like this still. I was there today and it was scurry [scary]!  So, you know, in memoriam and stuff.

*FUN FACT #87: I just learned that apparently analytical is not a word. IS THIS TRUE??? I have been using this incorrectly for years apparently. Dang it.