Off By One

I’ve known for a long time that, while I’m not a total hermit, I both need less human contact than other people, and tire of it sooner. The fact of the matter is, I find forcing myself to conform to others’ expectations of me is exhausting, both physically and mentally, and it leads to some of the more antisocial behaviour that I’ve engaged in in the past.

I’m thinking, though, that this book ought to be required reading for anyone that wants to understand me a bit better, and also for anyone that has a friend that they find to be a bit distant at times, for reasons they don’t really understand.

Party of One has put to words many of the things I see in myself. Although it’s not a word-for-word expression of who I am and how I feel about things, it is more accurate than not. I am a loner, to a large extent. And although the people in my life enrich it and make it a better place, there are frequent times that I can’t handle any of them, and I just need to be away from it all.

It’s a good book, and I hope that someone gets something valuable from reading it.