So it seems I've been called out as having a Type A habit. What does that mean exactly? Well it generally means I have a desire to do everything, quickly, better than anyone else ever has, and perfectly. Why? Because I can, and it's important, and I need to do it before someone else does, and because it will prove to everyone that I am a worthwhile human being. At least that's how Carol Lankton (a marriage and family therapist for 28 years) describes what's been going on inside my head. My cycling buddy says I ride like a bulldog chasing a cat. I hoped I was the cat in that simile, but unfortunately not. Can't I be a poodle instead of a bulldog? The problem is that while Type A personality is correlated with assertiveness and sturdy work ethic, it is also commonly combined with anxiety/depression and tends to alienate friends and family. Researchers speculate that this may happen because society tends to shun and isolate competitive, hard-driving women, even as it encourages men with the same traits. That's why I say "I'm a grrrrrrl." Luckily my she-wolf companions (my doggies and running partners) don't mind being dominated. Call me a bitch if you like, but I'm still standing. And running. And biking.
