It would be easy enough to turn into a hermit. Some days I feel pretty close to it, but if you look up the definition, being a hermit isn't such a bad thing, what with the introspective aspect and all. If you're into tarot cards,
here's what the Hermit is about. Makes it sounds a little less mental, doesn't it?
I've fought the tendency--it's the reason I started playing tennis again, as opposed to golf. But then, things like blogging, knitting, and cooking, just to name a few of my current obsessions, can pretty much be done in complete solitude, and I don't plan on giving those up any time soon.
But here's the thing--no matter how deeply I get into my passions, I always end up wanting to share them. On the face of it blogging, knitting, cooking, etc., sound like things that would isolate a person, but really, they're just the opposite. Who blogs strictly for themselves? What knitter doesn't knit for others? I have exactly zero "cooking for one" cookbooks. You get the idea.
As much as I like
showing off sharing the things I love to do, at times I have to be blasted out of my cocoon with a stick of dynamite. Or at least a persistent nudge. I've had a lot of un-ignorable nudges lately, and I appreciate them very much--comments on this blog, emails, invitations. I've tried to reciprocate with comments of my own, return emails, little gifts. I don't know if any of them matter to the recipients, but in a way, it's not for them; it's for me. This hermit likes being connected and likes giving, as long as I don't come off as a stalker.
Friends matter. Giving to them and giving of them matters. It feels good for everybody. Or should if there's no strings attached. And that brings up the whole expectations thing, which is another blog post for another day.
Have a great weekend, Friends, and make time for blogging, knitting, cooking, reading, and most of all, your friends.