I am not a hermit

Today I met a couple of people at Costco, and was reminded of one of my latest life lessons:  meeting new people is fun.  Now, for those who haven’t known me forever, and even some who have, you may not know that I have had for many years a schtick about my being a hermit.  When friends asked me to dinner, I’d say something like, “No, you know me.  I’m a hermit.  Once I get home from work, I never venture out.”  Or if they suggested a movie, or a contra dance, or a visit to the museum, or a concert.  Out would come my hermit refrain, coupled with what I considered a polite no.

But in the last year or so, corresponding pretty much with the time that I’ve been on Facebook, I have discovered that the hermit schtick is pretty much used up.  I have found that knowing in my heart of hearts that I love my friends and family isn’t enough anymore; that loving but missing them no longer cuts the mustard.    And it always has been.  I live far from them, and it has been enough to see or talk to them a couple of times a year, at best.  And then there are others whom I also truly love, that I haven’t seen since my teens.  But again, I knew that they had a special place in a hermit’s heart.  And it was, or had to be, enough.

So it came as a surprise to me today as I headed out for church and a little shopping that I’d rather be with my friends and family and that being a solitary may not be my preferred status, as I have long pronounced to the world and to myself.  Geez.  Imagine that.  Me not a solitary.

So, please allow me to introduce myself to you anew.  My name is Mo Brock, and I am not a hermit.  Let’s go do something!