A Day To Myself

In yesterday's post I stated I wanted to shake things up a little, rather than trying to focus on one particular line of content.  A dyed in the wool introvert I thought Wednesdays now could become "A Day to Myself". In all honesty, living alone, except for my ten year old (who is an extrovert - now there's a challenge!) most days are "a day to myself".  I have always enjoyed my own company, and for years felt somewhat defensive about that fact.  I am no misanthrope, but have only truly begin to embrace who I really am.  Yes, I still envy people who are social butterflies, comfortable in groups and crowds.  Parties and potlucks and school functions are torture for me.  I grit my teeth and hope beyond hope to find another tormented introvert to hide in the shadows with....somewhere near the door to make a hasty escape!  I envy happy couples too, despite being in a wonderful and loving relationship myself.  It is a long distance relationship which has it's own challenges, probably most easily met because we are both introverts, and the distance makes our time together especially sweet.  But I digress.  Again.

Last night was my turn to drive the short people to Awana, leaving my friend Nancy to enjoy a bi-weekly date night with her husband.  Some Tuesdays I head to Walmart to get groceries, but the pantry is well stocked this week.  I dropped the kids off at the church and headed out again.  Just over 90 minutes of time to fill.  I hesitated in the driveway.  The lure of the endless stacks of books to peruse at Chapters was powerful, but so was the siren call of buffalo wings & my current literary escape.  I turned left, and pulled into a quiet restaurant/lounge just behind the church.  I slipped in, ordered a glass of wine (a nice ale is my usual choice with wings, but I had been chilled all day - wine felt warmer) and a plate of wings.  Tucked away in my booth I laid my book on the table and lost myself in ancient Rome with Messala & Judah Ben Hur.  The movie has been a favourite of mine since my teens but I have to confess I have never read the book.  I was surprised to discover it was first published in 1880, which explains the dense descriptive text.  Again I digress.  Books have been my favoured companions for as long as I can remember.  My mother tells me I was clambering into the laps of our hired farm help book in hand as a toddler, much to the chagrin of these poor young men in dirty work clothes, some of whom could barely read themselves.  I don't remember learning to read, but I do remember getting my first library card and the thrill of filling it & needing to renew it.  And I well remember being frustrated that part of the elementary school library was off limits to scholars not yet in the lofty fifth and sixth grades.  I remember the guilty pleasure of reading the books that raised eyebrows (East of Eden, after Dad said the movie was inappropriate for me when he recalled what it was about & turned off the tv, Peyton Place, for similar reasons, and The Agony & The Ecstasy, because my high school classmates thought it scandalous based on the title alone, and its overwhelming size)
I've had plenty of time to myself lately.  I little too much, to be completely honest.  But I have been enjoying the quiet.  I'm writing more, catching up on my reading, and have tackled a few big STA (spare time activity) projects (you know, those little chores we all put off for when we have time-cleaning out closets, organizing the garage, we all have a list, don't we?) I still have more to tackle, am officially in procrastination mode again.  A little free time is good, too much opens itself up to "I have time for that tomorrow."
We spent the weekend in a travel trailer in Brooks.  A slice of heavenly escape for me.  Not the town particularly, just the "getting away".  No housework, no laundry, no tv, computer, no phone to speak of (yes, you can still reach my cell) none of the pulls of hearth and home.  My boyfriend and I slept late and sat silently side by side, lost in our books all afternoon.  My daughter, who does like to read but not like we do (not yet) watched a movie & begged me to play crib with her.  We did, we enjoyed the movie too, family time is important.  I tried to explain to her that she needs to learn to enjoy her own company, because sometimes that's all there is.  A lesson lost on her.  One day she'll understand. I know she will always crave company and activity, it's how she's wired, but silence and stillness is not something to be feared but embraced.  In a busy, noisy, plugged in world is it any surprise people are seeking out new forms of meditation and prayer?  Why exercise like yoga, that calls for one to be still, is on the rise in popularity?  It is in the quiet places we hear that "still, small voice", where inspiration grows, where peace dwells?
I'm curious....if you had a day, an evening all to yourself-no kids, no spouse, no friends- to spend by yourself, on yourself, what would you do?  Personally I have a list, and what I chose does depend on the mood I'm in.