Hermit the Crab
The other day, I saw one of the prompts for NaBloPoMo... something about whether you liked being with people or being alone. That's a hard question for me to answer. I like to think that I am a social person, and I often find myself wishing that Jason and I did more with friends... dinners together, playdates and parties for whatever reason. I'm even jealous of those people who have lots of those kinds of things planned. Their calendars are full of potlucks and sleepovers and camping trips with other families. I want a social smorgasbord too... or do I?
I love my friends. I love my family. I love my friends' families. I just don't actually get out there that often to see anyone. Truthfully, our social invite calendar is birthdays and holidays. It's not that we don't like people over, or going over to visit people... we just don't prioritize social events. I have friends who plan game nights and movie nights like it is second nature... but it takes me a month of prepping myself (and the inside of my house) before I usually feel like asking people over. And then I have to scour my calendar for a time that works for us. Jason and I both work 40 hours a week, with an additional 10 hour commute (each) and another 10 hours a week at church functions. We both have lots of trainings, and I have lots of travel. And I actually love traveling alone. It's fun to travel with coworkers, but I also look forward to a trip where I don't have to coordinate a single thing except when I can call my kids.
Do I avoid people? No. I see lots of people all the time. I see people at work and at the store and church. I usually say hi to those people. My friends and I have monthly girls' night - which is usually dinner and some rowdy conversation (yes, people have moved tables because of us... my friends are those people!). If I was the type of person who was scared by bubbly, social people, my friends would scare me. I think they just tolerate me and have learned that it takes a big event and a lot of planning to get this girl out of her shell.
Honestly, my ideal Saturday is staying at home in my pajamas all day with my kids. Cleaning, baking, and just hanging out. Instead of late night events with friends, I choose staying up too late at night beading and watching TV. I am the type of person that runs without music most of the time and can drive for hours in the car before I realize the radio isn't on. And sometimes, I choose to leave it off. I am totally content to be alone with my thoughts.
Tonight, I ditched my girlfriends (and I do regret it) because I dreaded the thought of driving back into town, and I knew that I had two cast iron pots to scrub again (still working on those babies). I chose hermicy (so not a word) over socializing. I was tired and grumpy and didn't know where I was going to find the energy to be social, much less fun to be around. And now I get to blog about it. Alone. At my dining room table. Waiting for my cast iron pots to cool so I can start the next round of Crisco and heat.
I love my friends. I love my family. I love my friends' families. I just don't actually get out there that often to see anyone. Truthfully, our social invite calendar is birthdays and holidays. It's not that we don't like people over, or going over to visit people... we just don't prioritize social events. I have friends who plan game nights and movie nights like it is second nature... but it takes me a month of prepping myself (and the inside of my house) before I usually feel like asking people over. And then I have to scour my calendar for a time that works for us. Jason and I both work 40 hours a week, with an additional 10 hour commute (each) and another 10 hours a week at church functions. We both have lots of trainings, and I have lots of travel. And I actually love traveling alone. It's fun to travel with coworkers, but I also look forward to a trip where I don't have to coordinate a single thing except when I can call my kids.
Do I avoid people? No. I see lots of people all the time. I see people at work and at the store and church. I usually say hi to those people. My friends and I have monthly girls' night - which is usually dinner and some rowdy conversation (yes, people have moved tables because of us... my friends are those people!). If I was the type of person who was scared by bubbly, social people, my friends would scare me. I think they just tolerate me and have learned that it takes a big event and a lot of planning to get this girl out of her shell.
Honestly, my ideal Saturday is staying at home in my pajamas all day with my kids. Cleaning, baking, and just hanging out. Instead of late night events with friends, I choose staying up too late at night beading and watching TV. I am the type of person that runs without music most of the time and can drive for hours in the car before I realize the radio isn't on. And sometimes, I choose to leave it off. I am totally content to be alone with my thoughts.
Tonight, I ditched my girlfriends (and I do regret it) because I dreaded the thought of driving back into town, and I knew that I had two cast iron pots to scrub again (still working on those babies). I chose hermicy (so not a word) over socializing. I was tired and grumpy and didn't know where I was going to find the energy to be social, much less fun to be around. And now I get to blog about it. Alone. At my dining room table. Waiting for my cast iron pots to cool so I can start the next round of Crisco and heat.
This I want to do more with people--uh, maybe not conversation is one I have with myself on a fairly regular basis. Nice to know I have company in my hermicy. (Sometimes the right non-word is better than an actual word.)
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