Sometimes I'm surprised by how often I need to retreat after socializing. It’s not that I don’t enjoy being social, nor do I consider myself an introvert. There are simply times when I’d rather be by myself. Much of my joy these days occurs in private, quieter moments, at a distance from the crowd where I can respond to the world in an unhurried manner. It’s easier to linger and let my imagination roam this way—on a child’s gait and the way he move through space; on a beautiful woman’s voice and laugh; on the universes held within words that have been arranged like bouquets. People are universes too, but sometimes they crowd out other aspects of my conscious experience that I delight in. This too is an experience of its own, one I’m continuously learning how to make room for.
Quiet and lingering
Quiet and lingering
Quiet and lingering
Sometimes I'm surprised by how often I need to retreat after socializing. It’s not that I don’t enjoy being social, nor do I consider myself an introvert. There are simply times when I’d rather be by myself. Much of my joy these days occurs in private, quieter moments, at a distance from the crowd where I can respond to the world in an unhurried manner. It’s easier to linger and let my imagination roam this way—on a child’s gait and the way he move through space; on a beautiful woman’s voice and laugh; on the universes held within words that have been arranged like bouquets. People are universes too, but sometimes they crowd out other aspects of my conscious experience that I delight in. This too is an experience of its own, one I’m continuously learning how to make room for.