Introverts, how is your day?

[Arcadia]

The exhaustion continues, I'm now at the point where I look and sound drunk even though I'm not.

 

And you don't want to know how many times I had to correct words in that sentence to it made sense. (And that one.) 

 

And yet you still managed to louse up the second sentence. :p

 

This reminds me of the time I college where I pulled two all-nighters in a row, trying to finish a project for art class (finally had to give up, but the teacher gave me an "A" for effort anyway. Wish I'd known that before I pulled the second all-nighter ...)

 

At any rate, I had a lecture class that day, and I was taking notes, and apparently I kept dozing off, but my hand still kept writing ... because every time I jerked awake, there were notes all right, but they were random words, they didn't make any sense! And towards the end the whole thing devolved into a sort of random squiggle...... but by God, I'd kept writing!

[Pseudonym]

I spotted that but after already editing it god knows how many times I just thought sod it. 

 

Ha, that hand was determined to keep up with it's notes despite the lack of input from the brain. Watch out that you don't develop an evil rogue hand like Ash in the Evil Dead. 

 

 

Uh... ignore the caption, couldn't find the gif without it. 

[Arcadia]

Dare I ask what "fap" means?

 

Speaking of evil hands, has anyone else seen Vampire Hunter D? I love the arguments D has with his hand. 

[Pseudonym]

Nope, never heard of it. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Dare I ask what "fap" means?

 

No.

[Pseudonym]

I avoided answering. 'Fap' is the noise the activity makes if that helps...

[Arcadia]

'Fraid it does...

[Carol the Dabbler]

Shame on you!  :o

[Van Buren Supernova]

I avoided answering. 'Fap' is the noise the activity makes if that helps...

I thought it could be more accurate than that. Just like honk, beep, ping. The words are pronounced like the actual sounds. Fap? Huh?

 

Overloaded people day!

Have you guys experienced that in real life people don't take it kindly when you mutter I hate people?

What is wrong with them!? You guys never complain.

[Pseudonym]

Well... I've never known that activity honk, beep or ping. 

 

Yea, some people think it's weird when you say 'I hate people.' On the other hand my best friend in school bought me a keyring that said 'do I look like a f*cking people person?'

[Pseudonym]

Recently my mother has been making noises about having a family gathering since none of us 'kids' are really close and don't tend to see each other. 

With my parents, siblings, their partners and their kids the total at this gathering would have been 10. But my parents aren't really party folk so were a bit in two minds about it since it's difficult with everyone's jobs etc to find a time when everyone is free anyway. 

Then I had a message this morning. My mother was talking about it with my aunts, who are more inclined to put on family parties, so now their families are coming too. This means that the relatively small party of 10 has suddenly ballooned to over 80.  I've been informed that my presence is expected. Which on the one hand could be good, on the other... oh my god, that is a lot of people, and since I don't have an SO I'm more likely to get swamped. I suppose as long as I can find a quiet table off to the side somewhere I might be able to cope. 

 

This gets me thinking about the whole kids issue again and 'the way things are meant to be.' 

 

When I was a kid, big family parties rolled around at least once a year. My grandparents were the matriarch and patriarch. They had 4 kids, a relatively small number for that time period. Those 4 kids got partners so the numbers doubled. They had 14 kids in total, who went on to have their own kids, who had their own kids. My grandfolks died, my aunts and uncle became matriarchs and patriarchs in their own right of their own large, growing families. I can't even get my head around how those two original people grew to over 80. Humans really are like rabbits. And then I think of me - and how I've rejected all of that. I don't want to be close to my siblings, I don't want kids, I'm not bothered about getting married. I'm not doing what I'm 'meant' to do, I'm not off starting my very own matriarchy. I guess when I look at all those people I can kind of see why my own decisions, which are 100% natural to me, seem odd to everyone else. 

 

Fingers crossed I won't have to answer the 'am I courting?' (older generation) or 'am I seeing anyone?' question too many times at this gathering. For some reason 'I don't date' makes people think you must have something hideously wrong with you. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

We could trade families.  My relatives are just as numerous and just as, shall we say, interested in one another's lives as yours are.  But they tend to treat strangers with more diffidence, as I assume yours do, so we should both be OK.  :D

[Pseudonym]

Ah, excellent idea!

[Carol the Dabbler]

Too bad you missed this year's reunion!

[Pseudonym]

Well it's happening at the start of January, so technically...

 

Also, any suggestions of how to say 'I don't date' or 'I'm single and fine' without people feeling sorry for me because I'm obviously secretly terribly lonely or I've got something hideously wrong will be greatly appreciated. 

 

[T.o.b.y]

You could smile and say you're happy with your life the way it is right now and change the subject. Get people to talk about themselves instead of about you, most of them prefer that anyway.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Right -- you really shouldn't have to publicly declare your reasons for living your own life in your own way, any more than you should be "required" to publicly declare your religious beliefs (or lack thereof) in great detail.  It's your own damn business (though I would not really recommend saying it quite that way).

 

As Tobe says, maybe you could say something fairly nonspecific like "Well, that's how things are right now, and that's fine with me," and then change the subject.

[Pseudonym]

The thing is it doesn't even occur to people that you might not want to do what everyone else does. I don't think people realise they're being rude or intrusive. Though if I was the type of person who was desperately unhappy being single having it pointed out wouldn't be particularly pleasant either. 

[Fantasy Lover]

Hmm, I have a very cheeky response I'd use whenever my relatives starts pestering me about not having a SO (which I have because I haven't come out to every family members due to not being close enough to confide it or being homophobic) but I don't know your family well enough to know how they'd respond to "I tried dating sites but I got enough dick picks to decorate my living room!" So, I'd suggest you say you tried dating sites but you haven't found anyone yet.

[Pseudonym]

No way would I say dating sites. Dating sites are my idea of hell, and I don't want to get stuck talking to anyone about them. *shudder*

[SherlockedCAMPer]

You could always let them know that you have done some group Meetup with others but just haven't found anyone special yet.

[Pseudonym]

Meetup isn't a dating group thank god. The thing is that and the dating site idea are both that I am looking and haven't found anyone, which isn't the point. The point is the opposite really - and I shouldn't have to lie about looking. Ah well, I'll just hope no one asks, if they do I'll just say no and change the topic. 

[Shadow Dweller]

Try sticking with the crowd who talks about science, social-economy and politics. Nosy busybody who loves to stick their uninvited noses into other people's private business tends to avoid those kind of topics because it is boring for them and or they have real difficulty on joining the discussion because of lack of knowledge to make their opinion count in that particular circle.

[Van Buren Supernova]

Recently my mother has been making noises about having a family gathering since none of us 'kids' are really close and don't tend to see each other. 

With my parents, siblings, their partners and their kids the total at this gathering would have been 10. But my parents aren't really party folk so were a bit in two minds about it since it's difficult with everyone's jobs etc to find a time when everyone is free anyway. 

Then I had a message this morning. My mother was talking about it with my aunts, who are more inclined to put on family parties, so now their families are coming too. This means that the relatively small party of 10 has suddenly ballooned to over 80.  I've been informed that my presence is expected. Which on the one hand could be good, on the other... oh my god, that is a lot of people, and since I don't have an SO I'm more likely to get swamped. I suppose as long as I can find a quiet table off to the side somewhere I might be able to cope. 

 

This gets me thinking about the whole kids issue again and 'the way things are meant to be.' 

 

When I was a kid, big family parties rolled around at least once a year. My grandparents were the matriarch and patriarch. They had 4 kids, a relatively small number for that time period. Those 4 kids got partners so the numbers doubled. They had 14 kids in total, who went on to have their own kids, who had their own kids. My grandfolks died, my aunts and uncle became matriarchs and patriarchs in their own right of their own large, growing families. I can't even get my head around how those two original people grew to over 80. Humans really are like rabbits. And then I think of me - and how I've rejected all of that. I don't want to be close to my siblings, I don't want kids, I'm not bothered about getting married. I'm not doing what I'm 'meant' to do, I'm not off starting my very own matriarchy. I guess when I look at all those people I can kind of see why my own decisions, which are 100% natural to me, seem odd to everyone else. 

 

Fingers crossed I won't have to answer the 'am I courting?' (older generation) or 'am I seeing anyone?' question too many times at this gathering. For some reason 'I don't date' makes people think you must have something hideously wrong with you. 

 

 

We could trade families.  My relatives are just as numerous and just as, shall we say, interested in one another's lives as yours are.  But they tend to treat strangers with more diffidence, as I assume yours do, so we should both be OK.  :D

 

So it's the same everywhere..!

Good god, that really sounds like a terrifying event Pseud. Bring your cats, unleash the face claw-er and keep the hugger as company.

It probably helps if you collect all cats you could find in the alley on your way there and start throwing them whenever they ask undesirable questions. XD

 

I'm trying to recall what I did in those situations, not a lot though, mostly weddings and that was yearsssss ago. It's the perks for staying thousands of miles away.

Normally I tried to find my 'corner', a quieter spot, then got busy with book or something. Or helping out with something that kept me busy and mobile and..distant. But that didn't help once they set their mind. Since everyone reproduces like bunnies, I stick out like a sore thumb and they want to be our therapist. They's probably even teach me some 'moves' if I'd let them. :P So from trying to be nice, because the more I talked, the more excuses I gave, the more energy they had to question my excuses, I actually became ruder and eventually ignoring their questions while looking at them in the eye with a creepy grin. That works best, they don't know what to do with me and give up.

[Pseudonym]

Ha, throw cats is probably the best idea - I'll go with that!

 

I'll probably end up drunk in a corner. British people like a drink, it'll be booze city.