One of my gentleman friends approached me and said, “Patrice, you are a woman of great mystery. You rarely talk to others but you are a great listener. You are an interesting woman but you seem hesitant to elaborate on who you really are.”  I looked at him and thought about what he said. Sometimes we do not realize how our lives are perceived by others. But he was right. I am a great listener. I keep what others tell me in confidence but I rarely reveal anything about myself unless it is already obvious to most. It is certainly not my intention to be mysterious. However, experience has taught me a few things which has shaped my behavior. There’s not much conversation that I share with others in depth about my life. I consider myself a low maintenance individual and I do not need a lot from people. However, the one thing that I do value in relationships is loyalty. If I share confidential information with someone and find out that it has been shared with someone else, that tells me that there is no loyalty concerning me. I am still a people person and I certainly do love people. I enjoy spending time with people, serving them and enjoying life in general. We live in a “tell-all-share-all” society. It is rare to find people that one can totally confide in concerning the ups and downs of life.  I feel that my life is blessed and extravagant. Things that I would confide in someone are not bad things. There are a lot of magnificent things about my life that would be earth-shaking to know. But not everyone can handle it and that’s okay. I do not chase people, I do not chase relationships and I do not chase situations. But if I am in good fellowship with anyone, loyalty is the top direct requirement and it is priceless.

Patrice Tankard