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Lockdown and the introvert.

alone isn't always lonely

By Kate McGovernPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Lockdown and the introvert.
Photo by madeleine ragsdale on Unsplash

LOCKDOWN AND THE INTROVERT

As a self-confessed introvert, I love being alone.

I love my own company and I love having no expectations of having to interact with other humans on a daily basis. It sounds a little anti-social, I agree but I can live with that.

Interaction takes time and energy I would far rather be using for solo endeavours or even nothing at all, and annoyingly, other humans tend to interfere with that.

I wasn't always this introverted. Well actually maybe I was and just didn't have the opportunity to bask in the glory of it all. In any case, I fully claim my right to be an isolationist introvert because you know what, it makes me happy.

I have no problem filling time when I’m on my own and the thought of a whole day unfolding with no one else to hinder me or take time away from me fills me with unbridled joy, although admittedly, that could also be the anti-depressants doing their thing.

For me, the past however many months of lockdown, (because let's face it our perception of time seems to have gone a muck) we have all had to find new and inventive ways to use or indeed not use our time. And even for those of us who spend the vast majority of our time alone, at home, it's kind of taken the pressure off. We no longer need to justify our reasons for staying home and not fraternizing with the rest of humanity.

While it's true that it's been an overwhelmingly difficult time for people who have been the most adversely affected by Covid-19 and those frontline workers who have had to do daily battle through all of this, for some of us being given the permission to stay home and perfect the art of being a non-conformist loner has been a bloody godsend.

Of course, for those of you out there who are new to the life of the recluse, I can appreciate it can be quite daunting to have nowhere to go, nothing to do, and nobody to see, especially if you're living alone. Even I can admit to the occasional moment or two when I’ve had enough of my own effervescent hilarity and actually need to hear another human talking back to me.

Lockdown has been hard for the more socially adept in our society, even I can appreciate that it must have been a real struggle for the people who actively enjoy knocking around with other humans on the regular.

At some point though, in the not too distant future life will go back to some degree of normality and those of us who actively choose to spend the majority of our time alone will go back to our pariah status and the rest of you will be free (ish).

I'm hoping that when this is all done and partially dusted, that where we were once viewed as an oddity for not wanting to mingle and for liking to be holed up in our homes just doing what we do, that a new sense of appreciation comes into being for those of us who actively enjoy the life of the not so lonely hermit.

What it comes down to really is recognizing that we all have different ways of being, that we all have a way of navigating this life that's unique to us and nobody should ever feel societal pressure for wanting to live a quietly isolated life away from the throng of the people.

Maybe we’ll be looked on as a little less freakish from now on. And if not just know that we introverted beings are still here doing our quiet little thing.

In any case, it's been nice having other people along for the ride.

humanity
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About the Creator

Kate McGovern

kate is a freelance writer, an ardent supporter of the tea break, and a part time procrastinator.

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