Hi Les(s),
We seem to have our own little thread going here.
Anyway, several things you mentioned in past posts made me think. You mentioned your INFP status. You do know that you are a rather elite group being such a small percentage of the population? Of course I am too with my INTJ status. Beleive me, there are times when I wish I was different. But I don't know how much that has to do with the actual type or the NMom quotient. I tend to think with even a bit of real attention, I would have flourished with my type. But it's tough being INTJ and female. I used to always hang with the guys in school because I related to them better. I needed a lot of things I just never got and didn't have naturally (it would have helped if ANYONE was paying attention). But being in a such a small percentage group of the entire population is hard especially with the more concrete types (I've had to become more concrete as I've gotten older, what about you?).
As far as you being vibrant, why my goodness!!!!!!!You seem vibrant to me, especially the way you write. Remember, you are a swan among ducks....as David Kiersey says. He is a rational married for over 50 years to his idealist. What type is your H if you don't mind me asking?
Yes, I am interested in personality typing. Probably because I was so much different than others and I didn't understand why. I always knew I was extremely independent even though I wasn't very social. And I was never a big talker. I cut myself one time from a knife in the dishwasher and I didn't say much even though I had a big gash. My Mom got extremely upset with me for being what she called "so closed mouth". What she didn't understand was that I didn't even see the big gash and was concentrating on the smaller one below it which did hurt some (the big one didn't hurt). Got out of gym class though

. To this day I will be at times a cauldron of emotions and nobody can see. They think I'm calm and collected. And at times I think I've said something when I actually haven't but meant to. Weird type, man!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like you, I wish that my sibs and I talked more about our experiences. It's sort of like a house where one or all of the kids are being sexually abused and none of the others know about it. It's almost an unspoken thing that you aren't supposed to say anything. And then there is the manipulation by the parents. Your Mom trying to usurp you and your sister's dates is chilling.
You mentioned that you are now more verbally in control. I can be that way in writing to my Mom. But I can't be that way on the phone since she's gets sooooo defensive at the drop of a hat. But I've become much more verbally in control with others since I've cut off contact. I am also much more free to express joy and laughter. It got on my Mom's nerves if we laughed or giggled too much when I was at home. I'm not sure what that was all about.
Do you remember that book "The Greatest Generation"? I wish I could meet some of the great people of that era. I know they probably exist. But the ones I know seem to be a pretty self congradulatory lot. Have you met any of these "great" people? Or are you just a low down "boomer" like myself? LOL. I don't know if "boomers" is a term used in Canada.
MM