Last night I was, unexpectedly, invited to a neighbor's birthday celebration. My family has been living here for a little over a quarter of a century. I have seen how people move, even, I have had distant relatives as neighbors, and with whom I rarely dealt beyond the hall greetings, I didn't even visit them, or they, to me.
I do not remember having attended a birthday celebration before. Could it be that I am aging faster than I think? Or maybe I am more of a hermit than I think?
The meeting was pleasant with very few people, not only because of the size of the apartment but also because of the restrictions imposed to control COVID19. A very general talk where opinions on the situation in the country prevailed. The hors d'oeuvres and drinks were not lacking until the arrival of the traditional happy birthday song, extinguishing the candles, and the cutting of the cake. By the way, it was delicious.
In a world where social distancing is the new normal, the birthday party is a violation of the same, so last night, without intending to, I was a transgressor, I could not refuse the invitation. Last night I escaped from the routine as a loner.
Both my wife and I have made it our goal to preserve the privacy of our home as much as possible during all these years, self-imposed ostracism. So I can list with the fingers of my hands who have visited us, obviously, excluding close relatives. I believe in the effectiveness of this conduct, it has freed us from many gossip and controversies, and although, now it begins to change due to the rise of social networks, especially, because of the obligations inherent to being part of the horizontal property, I will still look for the way that impacts us the least.
This leads me to believe that in largely populated cities, being a hermit is easier than in the suburbs. Someone might rightly wonder, how is it possible to be a hermit in a City or Suburb? What you say makes no sense. Perhaps I am digressing a bit, but as an answer, I would say that in a society where the cult of personality and accumulating material goods is everything, haven't time for others, you unintentionally become an island.
I know it, he would refute you that with what morals you are going to talk about this, but if you do not even share with your neighbors for fear of being involved in gossip or that they violate the privacy of your home. It should be a good point if the hermit's motive is ignored. It is one thing to be a hermit without realizing it, a product of the massification of motives imposed by the elites of society, and another thing to be a hermit for wanting to escape the manipulation of those elites. In the end, the fight is for your mind.
Returning to the birthday party, although grateful for the gesture of brotherhood, a moment of relaxation to share with whom walks by your side, it was also another opportunity to see how strong beliefs and propaganda dominate us.
I'm a bit like that. I'm the most sociable anti social person you'll ever meet or probably not meet. I think in the city there's a certain anonymity which makes it easier to go about your business and be overlooked and you're right in the suburbs no chance. Everyones business becomes everyones business. I like the way your wife and yourself kept the sanctity of the home space and not be sucked into daily dramarama and nonsense as that is the true distraction for people. If we are all bickering among ourselves nobody takes time to see how we are being screwed over and make an effort to do something about it.
Good thing not to be the only ones with this attitude and behavior. You are quite right about the wisdom of preserving the sanctity of the home and avoiding the influence of neighbor gossip. The best neighbor is the one who doesn't bother you at all.
It's not about being non-social, it's about living and letting live, preferably in an environment of respect and true consideration.
Hola @janaveda,
Que bueno que disfrutaste socializar en esta ocasión, sigues perteneciendo al genero humano. Yo por el contrario vivo recibiendo visitas frecuentes, aunque de corta duración. Mi calle es ciega y con solo 11 vecinos, la mayoría nos conocemos hace 25 años cuando compramos las parcelas y nuestros hijos se criaron muy cercanos. Decían que la calle era el corredor y cada casa su habitación particular. Hoy la mayoría están lejos ; Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brasil, Francia, Islandia y hasta china, apenas quedan tres adolecentes y los nietos de un vecino, cuyos padres están lejos. Son visita frecuente en mi sala de estar que tiene techo y una sola pared, así que es como vernos en el jardín.
La vegetación circundante y esta familia por cercanía hacen llevadero el aislamiento que en realidad no ha cambiado mucho nuestro estilo de vida.
Salud y paz.
Hola @felixmarranz,
Es cierto sentido, por lo que cuentas, llevan una buena vida, aunque la dispora de la juventud les toco a las puertas.
En mis caso, dos mis hijos tienen ya un lustro en el exterior. Inclusive mi madre y dos de mis hermanas también dejaron atrás sus arraigos.
Espero mejores tiempos y un alegre reencuetro, una sociedad mejor con ermitaños más sociales como consecuencia de una sincera fraternidad.
Muy buenos días @janaveda,
Si, en general me considero afortunado. a veces no llegan las cosas cuando uno quiere, pero llegan. las mas necesarias al menos, en cuanto al al Mustang 0 Kilómetros, será que no me conviene, he desistido de momento. Cuando lleguen mejores tiempos, tendrá que ser un modelo mas grande y con chofer. Jaja. Aunque con que pase un autobús por la avenida me conformo.
Hago un voto por bendiciones para tu ermita, que reine la salud, la paz y armonía entre sus paredes.
También creo que el tiempo esta por cambiar y mejorar.
Hola @felixmarranz,
Me alegro por ti. Bueno, cuando mejore la situación, olvidate del choper y comprate el Mustang para que disfrute la experiencia de conducción.
Jaja
Hola @janaveda,
Confió en pronto mejore para todos. estaba en Twitter echando un vistazo y vi protestas desde ayer o anteayer en Yaracuy, y un vídeo medio tenebroso de encapuchados que se supone de anoche en Petare. El descontento crece y algo sucederá. Ojala el desenlace sea positivo.
Feliz domingo.
Reminds me of @Denmarkguy and myself. We did try to involve ourselves in the community for awhile by opening a gallery downtown (we closed just in time for COVID -- that was a bonus, we didn't suffer the loss of our hopes and dreams any longer than we had to) but now we're back to our self imposed isolation and being quite happy doing so -- as HSP's we should have known better!
Our children are grown, they come visit us from time to time, and our small group of friends tend to be like us.
Hermits, to some degree.
It's not that we don't like the world, we're just too sensitive to spend too much time in it.
We are more than I thought. You are right, the world exceeds our sensitivity.