Type O Personality

After a grueling, near spontaneous combustion session of hot yoga I stand and revel in my success of finishing the class alive, uncharred, yet soaking wet. My own body extinguishing the rising internal flame with sweat. While standing at front desk, feeling refreshed after a cold shower, I wait to thank my instructor. I begin to put my shoes on and listen to one of the woman at the desk talking about how she has so many things she needs to do and how she never likes to be anything but busy. I chuckle to myself because I know she is a “kept” woman, and of course she has to say that. If I were a kept woman I would also like to have a million things to do, not only because I would like to keep busy, but what kept woman sits around all day, when you have money to spend?

The other lady engaged in the conversation enthusiastically says, “Are you type O personality?” I ponder the question. I have never heard of type O. I know I have heard of type A, and the other classifications of personality types. I scroll through my internal list of personality types. Introverted, extroverted, sensing, thinking, feeling, intuition. Nope, none of them begin with the letter O. I begin to doubt the last four years of my life spent in medical school when the woman blurts out “You know? Your blood type personality.” After seeing the confused look on other kept woman’s face. Phew! I wipe my hand across my forehead in a sigh of relief. Medical school did not fail me. The woman continues on, “Oh, I am the same way! I have to do things all the time too. I’m type O blood.”

I finally get the opportunity to squeeze in a thank you and and a bow to my instructor and leave. As I get in my car I ponder “type O personality.” I am type O blood. I also have to be busy all the time. If not busy in school, I busy myself with hobbies. Is there a correlation between the two or is it pure coincidence? As I am the occasional horoscope reader I entertain the idea that one’s personality could be determined by their blood type. It seems far more logical than saying because I was born at a particular time, during a particular month, that the celestial bodies control my personality. It makes a lot more “sense” to have something of your own body control your personality. Or what is personality and what controls it? I drive home on an existential journey pondering the finer details of life, personality, blood, and stars.