am ISFJ, aka Mother Teresa

Guardian™ Portrait of the Protector (ISFJ)

We are lucky that Protectors make up as much as ten percent the population, because their primary interest is in the safety and security of those they care about - their family, their circle of friends, their students, their patients, their boss, their fellow-workers, or their employees. Protectors have an extraordinary sense of loyalty and responsibility in their makeup, and seem fulfilled in the degree they can shield others from the dirt and dangers of the world. Speculating and experimenting do not intrigue Protectors, who prefer to make do with time-honored and time-tested products and procedures rather than change to new. At work Protectors are seldom happy in situations where the rules are constantly changing, or where long-established ways of doing things are not respected. For their part, Protectors value tradition, both in the culture and in their family. Protectors believe deeply in the stability of social ranking conferred by birth, titles, offices, and credentials. And they cherish family history and enjoy caring for family property, from houses to heirlooms.

Wanting to be of service to others, Protectors find great satisfaction in assisting the downtrodden, and can deal with disability and neediness in others better than any other type. They are not as outgoing and talkative as the Provider Guardians [ESFJs], and their shyness is often misjudged as stiffness, even coldness, when in truth Protectors are warm-hearted and sympathetic, giving happily of themselves to those in need.

Their reserve ought really to be seen as an expression of their sincerity and seriousness of purpose. The most diligent of all the types, Protectors are willing to work long, hard hours quietly doing all the thankless jobs that others manage to avoid. Protectors are quite happy working alone; in fact, in positions of authority they may try to do everything themselves rather than direct others to get the job done. Thoroughness and frugality are also virtues for them. When Protectors undertake a task, they will complete it if humanly possible. They also know better than any other type the value of a dollar, and they abhor the squandering or misuse of money. To save, to put something aside against an unpredictable future, to prepare for emergencies-these are actions near and dear to the Protector's heart. For all these reasons, Protectors are frequently overworked, just as they are frequently misunderstood and undervalued. Their contributions, and also their economies, are often taken for granted, and they rarely get the gratitude they deserve.

Mother Teresa, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Steward, and Tsar Nicholas II are examples of Protector Guardian style.

Perhaps a career in nonprofit? What will Carlson say about that......

The Fray

A life time can be highlighted with a lot of first. A child's first step. The first birthday present. A family's first Christmas in a new house. What these firsts have in common is that they tend to leave a strong first impression. Well, after twenty years, I attended my first ever concert. The Fray, an alternative rock band, came to play at the Target Center in Minneapolis. I hadn't really heard of The Fray before this concert, but when my friends were interested in going, I began to listen to their music. I was surprised to find that I was already familiar with some of their songs, especially their hit singles "How To Save a Life" and "Over My Head (Cable Car)". Thus, in preparation for the concert, I borrowed my dad's earphones and was listening non-stop to their music. I've got to say I really like alternative rock. From Keane to Switchfoot to The Fray, I'm attracted to their strong ballads along with original lyrics. I also fancy the piano being used in a rock band.

The concert was scheduled to start at 7:30pm. I left work around 5:00pm and congregated at my friend's house. We left for the concert around 6:30pm. Usually, it doesn't take an hour to get to Minneapolis, but we were cautious of traffic. Thankfully it wasn't too congested and we got there by 7:35pm. As with any other concert, being tardy isn't the end of the world since there are always warm up bands. However, because we were a bit late, we missed the name of the first warm up band. After performing for about an hour, the band bid adieu. We were anxiously expecting The Fray to take center stage only to be greeted by another warm up band. It turned out the second band was OK go. The band is most famous for their innovative music video on treadmills. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to check them out on youtube.

Finally, at 9:30pm, the lights dimmed. The video screen in the back streamed a singular green line. The air was heavy with eager anticipation, as everyone held their breathe. The green line started to stream faster. Then, a small pulse rose from the line. More peaks started rising, and everyone's heart began to beat in unison with the video pulse. Then, a singular resonant stroke of the piano reverberated throughout the entire stadium. The heavy silence was shattered by the piercing screams of all the crazy fan girls and myself.

The whole night was a wonderful experience. The lighting created a very effective mood. Sometimes solemn, other times pensive, the lighting provided wonderful visual stimuli. The music itself was incredible. There was no discernable differences between their live performance and their album, which was an incredible achievement. I was singing in public for the first time as I hummed along to their songs. Thankfully there were enough high school girls to drown out my voice. The band mixed the night with songs from their album and some new material. My favorite was their cover of Shakira's Hips Don't Lie, which The Fray sang in honor of the band's new bassist, who was celebrating his first tour with the band and his birthday. The concert came to a conclusion around 11:30. Even though we had just been sitting for 4 hours, our stomach announced that they were hungry. So, we made a small detour to Wendy's before heading home.

So, first impressions: The Fray is awesome, concerts have such an unique atmosphere, binoculars are useful when sitting in the rafters, and life is good with friends!

Anyone up for another concert this summer?

Rock Star

I gently placed the shoulder strap over my head. The touch of cool hard plastic greeted my left hand as it ran up the instrument. My fingers settled in place, slightly curved and flexed, like an Olympic sprinter at the starting blocks. The muscles in my fingers were tense and on high alert, waiting for the first note to pounce. My right hand settled on the strings, waiting in unison. A trickle of sweat slid down the back of my neck. Then the music started. First it was a faint murmur that was barely noticeable. Then it grew louder, hooting like an incoming train, signaling its arrival. This was it. There was no turning back. The track started rolling. With each passing moment, my heart rose from its usual position until it settled somewhere near my adam's apple. Then the notes came, tiny and blurry at first. As it raced towards me, its color and position came into focus. I had to wait, wait until it came to me. Thud! My index finger hit the green note while my right hand twang the strings. Too early! I heard myself curse in silence. I had failed, but it wasn't the end. The next red note flowed towards the edge of the television screen. I pressed down hard with my middle finger while I struck the roll of white plastic. Yes! I hit the note. But it was no time for rejoicing. The stream of inexorable notes flowed with rapidity towards me, challenging me to nail every single element. My fingers danced with the training of a ballerina, balanced and poised, hitting each position with a strong punctuation. The song was in full flight, and my ears twitched as I tried to catch its beat. For five minutes, I felt like a rock star, pounding out the next grammy winning rock single. The crowd roared with appreciation, and I was showered with thunderous applause. My glittering leather jacket shone like a starry night under the spotlight. My curls gave a springy bounce as I bowed to the crowd after the finale. I had finished playing my first song on guitar hero.

Celebrity Look Alike

http://www.myheritage.com

I'll take it. Beckham isn't too bad, right? LMAO.