Loners

If I am around people I have nothing in common with, like the people in the town I live in, then I do not want to socialize with them, and the things they say will dismay me. They are Christian conservatives who love to talk about God and all the things they are obsessed with.

If I am around people who are interested in the same things I am and are knowledgeable, then I can enjoy discussing those subjects with them. To do this I have to drive to the city which is an overnight stay, and see my friends who are into those subjects.

My husband needs someone to talk to about his favorite subjects. He tells me about what he is writing papers on and I really can't talk about it because it's highly specialized and takes at least four years of college to understand.

When I was a kid I was lonely because my parents were jailers. They tried to terrorize me by chasing me down the sidewalk with a bamboo switch if I WENT OUTSIDE THE HOUSE to play with the other kids on the block. My mother called that "running off" like it was a mortal sin.


I could not have sleepovers, because we didn't have an extra bed, because of my mother's hoarding taking over the third bedroom. I couldn't have birthday parties and invite my friends to them. So I'll go to the city and talk to people who are interested in these subjects. Got to get my culture in the city.


The people where I live have no curiosity and no interest in culture. Even if they went to college, they are still right wing conservatives. Fox News viewers. A few years ago when they had Simpsons stamps at the post office, I got some and asked the people in line, "Do any of you watch The Simpsons? Do you ever watch this show?" and all I got were blank looks and "no"s. Apparently in small town rural America they don't know about this show.



It's not as simple as introvert/extrovert.