Exactly. Spend some time just catching waves, as many as you can. Get those paddle muscles and pop reflexes feeling good. Then learn to ride the open face and trim down the line. Once you are starting to think about getting some solid turns in, then you can decide longboard or shortboard.
I would avoid low-volume high performance shortboards unless you plan on ripping Indonesia or the North shore... Eggs, fishes, full volume stubbies... will all turn as hard as you can. There are so many ways to make shortboards fun with higher volume these days. Check out some of the shapes Danny Dicola makes for inspiration.