Company, What's Normal?

0,0,1 and I'm not sure.

The lightly longer answer is loneliness is very normal these days. We have been living in the loneliest time in human history (then covid happened, making us lonely and with less contact.)

I don't think it's always going to be this way. Not sure what's going to come next, though. Probably it'll get better but the next weird thing will also come along.

Q's 1 and 4 give me pause for reflection. I'm an avoidant person to pretty debilitating levels, you see. As much as I get lenely I also feel the "weight" of social pressure stacks and accumulates a lot. Soooo, sometimes I intiate well but it's really easy for me to get overwhelmed, so I either stop intiating and it's feeling heavier I'll actively put up barriers or try and hide and run away.

I've been working on the hardest thing to do, which is talking about it to the people that it affects. It takes place in many different ways but they'e all basically a case of mindfullness vs volatility.

Fun, right?

I was just talking abou that on another thread. Xmas fell apart for me a few years ago. Buuuut, it's been rebuilding since then. Xmas stress can ruin xmas when it really shouldn't.

I'm making a deliberate effort to minimise potential stess to allow for potential joy. Been a bit of a public policy for me, this year.

Thanks for checking. This has been a very humanising end of the year in a bunch of ways, including this.

Actually, i just realised, it's my first, this season, with ya'll as a forum. You're all one of the biggest family that I've been in. I'd better get started on a batch of psychic-eggnog. Let me know if any of you prefer psychic-vegan or psychic-non-alcoholic.

1. How many people knocked on your door and stayed for a chat?

I mostly get people offering to replace all the light bulbs in the house, the postie or if I'm in luck a Jehovah witness. Unfortunatly people I know dont knock on doors unanounced any more and I really dont think the aforementioned people are suitable to invite in to stay for a chat.

2. How many people do you feel are close to, or that you can be yourself around, or laugh and cry with?

3 ... comisserating not crying

3. How many people did you have a social conversation with on the phone?

3 ... people really dont talk on phones in 2022. they maintain their updates on facebook or instagram or snapchat or tic toc or myspace (that last one was a trick), all their social reserves are depleted after they do that.

4. How many of these contacts did you have to initiate?

2 but its worth it.

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@wellwellwellnez wrote:

I'd better get started on a batch of psychic-eggnog. Let me know if any of you prefer psychic-vegan or psychic-non-alcoholic.

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@wellwellwellnez this gave me a giggle 😄

Hi and welcome, @Touchedbythesun , it's good to have you 🙂

1. Not on my physical door, but 5 people contacted online me yesterday for something or other. Usually to ask something.
2. My partner and my psychologist.
3. Social? I saw my brother-in-law and wife on Sunday. Does it count?
4. All. I initiate most interactions. It's tiring.

Hi and welcome to you too, @BounceBack ! I like your username. 🙂

Hi @BounceBack, welcome to the forums 👍

@ You sound similar to me, hardly any visitors and have to initiate most the time. Yes it is exhausting. Do you not live with your wife? Guess it counts, but not people who are PAID to support us. I don't see them as real (or in my future).. Have you got a bit of company organised for Christmas?