There was a time when going out was everything. You had to be at every party, every picnic, every date night, and every outing on the social calendar. You didn’t care what it took out of you, but you just had to be seen. It was all about being seen and sometimes not so much about the fun you had. But now you’re all grown up and you realize that was silly. Who wants to be seen with a bunch of people who mistake your name for a fancy Italian dish?

It’s called getting old. When you start feeling like going out is a chore, you have reached a mature age, i.e., you’re beginning to sound and act like your grandparents. You’re at the stage where home is a banging party and the TV room is your cinema.

To that end, here are 7 reasons why going out isn’t as fun as it used to be.

1. It’s expensive.

Everything is expensive. The cost of living has shot up and now the Brexit thing has happened. The world is in economic turmoil. That one bank note that could take you places can now only buy you airtime. Burgers are two bank notes and drinks are a note and some coins. When did food become so expensive? Forget the food; you need money for petrol to get to the place, for parking and then, of course, for taking something to where you’re going. Who goes out and doesn’t eat dessert? Those who are broke. Like me. Rather we all stay home and eat popcorn in front of the telly or YouTube.

2. It requires a lot of effort.

You may begin to realize that the older you get, the less important it is for you to always be surrounded by people. No matter how well-meaning these people may be, sometimes you just need your space. By “need your space,” we mean “being alone.” Even in a house full of people. You need to be able to just sit and chill and do nothing without a million voices begging for your attention. When you go out, you’re in the midst of a continuous flow of conversations that may or may not make sense at any point of the outing. You must give your two cents, laugh on cue, catch people’s eyes, and nod in agreement. You can’t be too loud for fear of being overbearing, and you can’t be too quiet for fear of being a party pooper. You have to be just right. Balanced. Balanced, my foot. Balance is being able to hold your juice, bowl of crisps, chocolate bar, and remote at the same time. Now that’s balance.

3. It’s tiring.

One leg in, one leg out. One arm in, one arm out. Clip, clip go the earrings. Smear goes the lipstick. Zip, zip goes the jacket and beep, beep goes the car unlocking. From the time you have to decide what to wear, actually putting it on, and then getting into the car and arriving at your destination, you’re so tired already. You may already want to sleep. Then you must converse with the peoples. People are tiring. Fact of life. Some people (extroverts) are particularly so because they feed off other people’s energy. Introverts, on the other hand, want to preserve that energy for worthwhile activities such as reading a book, doing a crossword puzzle, or writing an essay on why the world will end in less than 20 years if people don’t stop eating fast food. From beginning to end, it’s just tiring. Fun, but tiring.

4. You’re getting old.

There. It’s been said. You are getting old. I’m getting old. It feels like so much work to go and bathe, find a nice outfit (which for women can take forever on its own), get out the house, go to the shops to get what you need, arrive at the place, and act the part. It sometimes feels like the bones are creaking as you struggle into those jeans you know are too small for you, but you struggle anyway. When you’re at home, you don’t need to worry about all that. You can be in your slacks, your pajamas, or torn tracksuit and no one will know or care for that matter. Why? Because you’re at home. In your comfort zone. Ever seen an old person stressed at home about looking good? Neither have I. Go figure.

5. It’s not exciting when it’s the same people over and over again.

We all want to belong to a group of people we feel comfortable around. Fair enough, but what happens when you always get invited to the same circle of friends’ houses/ activities? Enough said. You feel like you know the people too well. You need a break from them and a douse of fresh air would do you a wealth of good. Hanging out with your people can be regular but not every day. That’s just creepy. I don’t know you like that.

6. Fun isn’t what it used to be.

Fun has changed over the past 20 or so years. Fun involves people getting made fun of, people getting hurt (sometimes even dying) or even things that were frowned upon years ago. People want to have fun smoking, drinking, dancing in ways I cringe to mention, blasting music that is surely not of this world and engaging in behaviour that is definitely not wholesome or becoming of a person who claims to want to make the world a better place. You would make the world a better place if you could learn to do the shuffle without turning it up. Conversely, there are those who are just plain boring. “Let’s watch Nat Geo.” Say what? I’m only watching that if I’m helping a cousin on a project or getting paid to do so. Again, balance is of the essence.

7. I’d much rather be at home.

AKA, a homebody. Call me antisocial, anti- this that or the other, boring or just plain old, I don’t care. It is what it is. After all is said and done, I would much rather be at home than out in the freezing cold playing “spot the stars in the sky.”

Do you enjoy going out or not? Comment below.