I have noticed that, as I have aged, I have become happier in general.
I think this is down to the snippets of wisdom I develop year by year, but also because of the newfound
independence that growing up grants.
I am highly independent - probably abnormally so. Of course, the loner lifestyle is not perfect, and there's
a naivety lingering within (in that I think isolation from others will stop me from being hurt).
Of course not. You get hurt. I'm human. I need other humans.
But at the same time, I feel more in control of my own happiness. A few years ago, it was difficult being
alone, but I'm so used to it now. I don't wake up day by day, disappointed at the fact I have no one to
converse with.
So what do I do? I get on with it, and make my way in the world. I deal with things. And it just so happens
that there are often incidents in which I see other people, afraid - when I am not. What doesn't kill you can
make you a nervous bloody wreck at times, but on the other hand, sometimes it is true - I am stronger.
I've got so many things to look forward to. And you know what? They're plans I make alone, looking ahead
and knowing I'll be - you guessed it - alone.
At the best of times, I don't need anyone else. Companionship is just a fantastic thing for me, that I no longer
take for granted. But it's not the foundation on which my contentment is placed; not like how everyone seems
to expect it.
This anticipation of all the things I've got ahead may be short-lived, but for as long as I can, I'm going to keep
going. What is the alternative?
(Contrary to popular belief, I am not anti-social; rather, selectively so.)
And I have learned so much from it.