Land of Extroversion

I have moved to a place where everyone is an extrovert. And whereas that may be overstating it, it's not by much. I had two invitations for July 4 yesterday and had decided to go to the one in my neighborhood first and then swing by the one at the house of one of my ministry leaders. After finishing my sermon yesterday afternoon I went out for a walk and had a third invitation from a neighbor who wanted me to come in and have dinner with them at 3:00 (ribs and okra.) I hated to turn him down, but I was beginning to feel like the Vicar of Dibley in the Christmas dinner episode. When I got home last night from the second party, another neighbor on my street came over with an invitation to a dinner tonight. Once you're retired, do you just party all the time? :)

Between the meet and greets at church - and there are two more on Monday - and the neighborhood events, I'm feeling very social. I can't walk out of my house without neighbors talking to me or wanting to invite me somewhere. It's nice, but I'm tired, and introverts have to rejuvenate alone. The funny thing is that with all this social interaction, I'm still lonely when I have meals at by myself at home. I miss eating at the refectory, particularly at dinner time.