I declared my intent to graduate yesterday. It would seem that it could happen next semester. It’s been anybody’s guess as to when this day would come. Considering it hasn’t quite yet, I’m actually going to let that go for now.

I have had a rush of good fortune on campus.

I thought it culminated on Wednesday in when I met my career counselor. Once I had filled out some forms she took me to her small office, sat me down and told me to talk while she scribbled notes in black felt-tipped pen for about ten minutes. I went on about language and writing, and how I like to travel–all in earnest attempt to fill the white space on her page.

I read from my resume and told her about chess and computers. I remembered Leadershape and SOEL. Then I mentioned my fascination with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It kind of just came out. She scribbled away and I looked up at her bookshelf and saw Please Understand Me–the exact same edition I mentioned in a previous post–and a few other titles that Amazon recommends.

I asked for her assessment of me (mostly because I wanted to tell her what I thought she was). She qualified her response by noting how little time she had known me and then responded swiftly with “ENTP.”

I was stunned. She had gotten 3/4 right. And it seemed so easy for her; she hardly ever looked me in the eye! I felt like she had just convinced me that I was wearing a dress. And she said only four letters, but gently and with resolution.

I felt exposed. Defensive, I thought to myself “Who does this woman think she is? I know what I am.” and then I sat back in surprise, humbled and embarrassed. I had wanted to go large and showboat and instead I got sorted like mail.

I tried to counter, telling her I’d never scored Extroverted before, and she handed me the INTP career description from her binder instead, to make me feel better. She had already made her assessment, and I had already put more stock in hers than in all of those previous. Nothing else really mattered. I shut up for a little while.

She talked and gave me some insight on what I might be well suited for. When I came back from the stupor, still reeling, I asked if she would let me guess her type. We both listened carefully while I squeaked out a combination of letters that had almost nothing to do with her actual personality type. She kindly told me that I had gotten 1/4 right but really wasn’t interested in discussing it further.

I was a little quieter for the rest of the appointment. She had a lot to say and I wanted to learn from her. I left with a contact, a broad occupational field, some goals and recommendations, literature, and an unfamiliar motivation for getting becoming employed.

I’m looking forward to graduating.