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I’m a Loner, but Political Differences are Making Me Lonely.
I’ve never been the type of person who needs a large group of friends and a full calendar of social events. I’m happy being at home, and quite content with a small group of close friends, enjoying less frequent but more meaningful get-togethers. My closest friends are those not put off by my anti-social ways. Even if months have passed since last we spoke, when I see them again it’s like no time has passed at all.
Despite all of that, I’m feeling lonely lately, and it’s not because of being stuck at home while social distancing due to COVID. I’m a homebody so I thrive working from home and I genuinely enjoy the company of my husband and son. I love to read and often prefer my books and the characters in them over interacting with real people. We have wonderful friends, but it’s been nice not having to coax myself to spend a night out with friends when I’d rather curl up on the couch with a book. My husband says if left to my own devices I could live the life of a hermit.
So it isn’t this strange new life of COVID seclusion that is the problem; I feel lonely and isolated lately because for the first time in my life, differences in political opinion are making it hard to even relate to some family and friends. I can’t even comprehend anymore the logic that bases arguments on conspiracy theories from unreliable news…
