I admit that I’m a bit of a homebody.
My home, and the person I share it with, provide me with a warm, supportive and comforting place to return to at the end of a busy day – so much so that I enjoy just spending time there whatever the circumstance might be.
I’m not a hermit however – I do enjoying going out from time to time to see family and friends in social situations. Still it always nice to know I have such a memorable place to return home to.
But some weeks seem busier than others and often leave me with a feeling of anxiety. When my day starts at seven in the morning and I don’t return home until well after seven at night, that’s a long day for me. Like I said, I’m a bit of a homebody and when I’m out and about it prevents me from doing things for myself such as writing and exercising with any regularity.
But as with most lessons I’ve learned in life, they’re often unexpected and highly profound.
An elderly neighbor (94 years old to be exact) recently called my wife on the phone to see how we were doing. Her age limits her ability to walk around the neighborhood as she once did and therefore the phone has become her lifeline.
About halfway through their conversation she said to my wife, “it’s so nice to hear someone else’s voice besides my own.” It was during my wife’s retelling of the story that it hit me how ridiculous I was about being “too busy”.
There are people in our lives, young and old, who are lonely and in need of nothing more than our company; of our time. When I think about how many hours I probably waste flicking through channel after channel on the television set, doing nothing constructive, I’m embarrassed.
Yes our lives are busy, but instead of me sitting here whining about it, I should be thankful that I still have people in my life who are so interested in sharing it with me.
While I still enjoy being a homebody, it’s important that I continue to remind myself that it’s good to get out and see people every now and then. Because the sad reality is someday the only voice you’ll hear will be your own.
