Today I put off an appointment for Winston. I just did not want to go out. There are days  when my RECLUSE gene is dominant. Sounds odd to many people but I am content with my own company. Maybe it is a the result of being the only child of older parents. All the children of their friends were in their late teens or out of the house so except for school, I had to learn to entertain  myself. This trait was also instilled because my parents did not cater to  me by becoming my source of entertainment. Also they lived by the unspoken( or not often stated) motto that boredom is the result of a lazy mind. So now I can cope with being alone, and in fact enjoy especially after dealing with large groups at work and social gatherings.

 Books became a refuge for me. Television had yet to become part of everyday life. Mom read to me often until she realized I was reading by myself. After that she provided the books and  I read them myself form the age of three or just past it. From the pages of the books, I learned about animals, places and people. Little did I realize how much these imaginary worlds would allow me to relate to the real world.

 So today I shall clean, do laundry and  read. The dogs will make me move around between their naps. I may even clear some more areas in the on going process of downsizing. I will also work on some writing. Nothing has to be done today. It is mine to arrange and fill anyway I wish.  That to me is a luxury.

 But do you not get lonely? is a question often asked of me if I tell people this. The answer is no.I am alone but not lonely. Lonely to  me is being isolated by others---not having contact due to the choice of other people. Alone by choice means that you are content with that state and it is by choice. So reader to me there is a huge difference in the two words.