Do you get more out of life from time spent alone?

Do you pass on party invites, birthday bar hops, and work gatherings?

Do you prefer people in small doses?

I can’t be the only one.

There are more of you out there, I’m sure. Do you embrace your introverted nature?

I can recall many nights out wishing I’d stayed in. I used to wonder what my problem was. Why can’t I get into it? What’s wrong with me?

I’m no longer bothered. The fact is, I enjoy solitude and I’d be miserable without it. I choose to be alone and you should feel free to make that choice, too.

While I might crave social environments, I am no social butterfly; just a lone wolf living amongst the pack. I’m addicted to city life while avoiding city crowds, picking quiet alleyways over busy streets and only restaurants with no lines and available seats.

I’m an introvert, through and through. I care deeply for some, but avoid people when I can. I enjoy my own company more than the company of most and even talk to myself from time to time.

I am strange, there is no doubt of that.

I live in a bubble that I’ve created myself. It is my comfort zone, a barrier to keep me sane. While I live for stepping out of it, I’m very particular of those who step in.

I do not hate humankind; most people simply bore me through no fault of their own. I wish it were not so, but to fake interest would be a betrayal – an act and nothing more.

The extrovert in me tires quickly, scoping out exit signs, ready to announce my departure. I stop holding my breath once I reach my own door. The introvert in me smiles as I lie there in bed, fully clothed, staring up at the ceiling. I think about nothing and everything, rejuvenating from the drain of the night’s many interactions.

“How selfish of you! Self-absorbed! Obsessed!”

I know the criticisms well, for my self-centeredness comes hand in hand with self-awareness. My flaws are perhaps more apparent to me than to those who know me best.

Still, there is little misery in my life. I’m more interested in the road ahead – the path that zigs and zags with no recognizable end. I am the main character in a game, determined to reach the next level and acquire all the gems along the way.

I can’t tell if the other players are real. Perhaps we’re all part of one giant game. If that’s so, I have a lot to learn.

I think I’ll be alright. My character is still young and there is much to explore.

There are more of us out there than you think. Let’s be strange together – but, also just alone.