Most people look forward to the weekends, but as another Thursday night rolls around, I’m already dreading what will happen this Friday.
Why? Because inevitably, people will talk about what they’re doing this weekend, and when I say I’m going to a movie or reading a book or just hanging out, they’ll say, “You need to be more social!”
I’m not anti-social at all. I just don’t like going to parties and talking to people I don’t want to talk to, watching people do things I don’t enjoy doing, and pretending to have fun when I’d be having more fun somewhere else. I love to socialize, but with one or two friends at a time. I like the deeper conversations you can have one-on-one or in a small group without music and alcohol and people getting wasted and everyone checking everyone else out. This isn’t my definition of fun.
Being social in high school has come to mean one thing: parties. Everyone says, “These are the best years of your life!” and we’re supposed to make the most of them by partying. But what if making the most of high school years is having a quiet night to read a book I love, or watching a movie (or three) with a friend, or talking with friends until the middle of the night because we have so much to say to each other about this crazy time in our lives?
While everyone was saying that I need to be more social, I read a description that fit me perfectly: an extroverted introvert. I like company, but in a more low-key way. I’m not a hermit. I just like a balance between time to recharge, and time to see friends, and parties drain me like an overcharged battery.
So next time someone says they aren’t partying this weekend, don’t tell them they need to be more social. They ARE social, just not in the way you define it. And that’s just fine!