All by Myself

My misanthropy is getting worse. The other day I found myself hiding behind the sofa so as to make someone think I was out. I really do hate cold callers. Even when I know them. Especially when I know them, actually. After all, it's much easier to tell some sales person for a double glazing company that you've never met before to 'Sod off', than it is to tell somebody you know the same thing. I mean, just because I don't want to see people I know, doesn't mean that I necessarily want to offend them. Just avoid them. People who know me really should have grasped by now that they should always give me fair warning before trying to contact me, and really shouldn't approach me unexpectedly - if they happen to see me on the street, for instance. If they want to speak to me, they know which nights I'm likely to be in the pub, and which pub. Don't misunderstand me, it isn't that I don't like spontaneity, I just prefer it when it's my spontaneity. In order to further the illusion that I'm the master of my own destiny, I like to be the one who decides to do something different. And, to be honest, I'd rather be doing something different on my own. There's less complaining and no chance of being diverted into doing something I find boring, just to humour someone else.

It's like I've said before, I just don't really like people. OK, I quite like a few of them, on an individual basis, but I find them hard to take en masse. But that's the trouble with today's interconnected world, where everybody is telling everybody else their 'status' and updating them as to their 'mood', people have forgotten the simple joys of being alone. That's not the same as being lonely. Unfortunately, the media tend to confuse the concepts of 'alone' and 'lonely'. Only the other day I saw some twaddle about the authorities in Japan being worried about the number of young people who seem to prefer to stay at home, on their own. Why is that characterised as being odd behaviour? Quite frankly, looking at the state of the world today, as portrayed by the self same media, staying at home seems to be the most sensible thing you can do, what with all those murderers, perverts and rapists out there, not to mention the imminent breakdown of society which will follow the economic crisis. But really, why is a desire for solitude strange? To be alone with one's own thoughts is surely something to be welcomed. But then again, perhaps that's what scares so many people - the idea of having to enjoy their own company, as they really don't like themselves. Not a problem I suffer from. Obviously. I'm quite comfortable with myself. I look forward to being able to spend whole days not speaking to anyone, not having to observe meaningless pleasantries, or endure the opinions of idiots. Paradise.