"Come hang out!" I hear this 3-4 times a week, on average. It amazes me that people who have known me for years somehow still live under the illusion that I am a people person. Will I talk to you online? Yes. Will I, on occasion, make an effort to spend time with people? Only a very small selection of people. I don't like the word 'recluse', but I suppose that would be accurate at this point. This past weekend, I went out two nights in a row. One night, I spent on my phone asking someone if it was too early to go home. The second night, I spent on my phone, waiting to go home.
My best friend is the same type of creature I am. In fact, we take turns going to each other's houses, because we are both home bodies. We turn on a movie, talk through the whole thing about things completely unrelated to the movie while eating mexican food. We've been doing this for years. We are not only home bodies, but creatures of habit. And if one of us just doesn't feel like hanging out due to tiredness, laziness, what not, the other one understands. This is why we get along so well, and have withstood our circle of friends shattering into different directions. We have only each other on Google Latitude. We are in it for the long haul, as he likes to say.
Don't let that last bit make me sound like I'm not a good friend. If I adore you, I will go out of my way for you. If you're sick, I will take care of you. If you need a ride to/from the airport at the break of dawn, I will be there (whining and chugging coffee). I'm a naturally nurturing person, but make me regret being sweet to you, and you will be out in the cold. That being said, I should be a lot more selective (if that is even possible), about whom I chose to extend my time and effort to. It seems like lately, I have a lot less time, but I feel like the people around need me quite a bit. There are a couple people who will get priority of my time, no matter what, but working in the rest... Finding a balance is tricky, tricky.
