Solitary

My friend Susan who lives in Inverness, the owner of the small cottage I lived in for more than ten years, mentioned in an email the other day that it was a sunny day and she missed the times she and I would sit at the picnic table, under the apple tree, and have a glass of wine.  We would chat about whatever was happening, about our dogs, about families and friends.  On Fridays my friend Tom would always come over with his dog and we would have a cocktail under the tree (or inside if it was cold) and Susan would often join us.  That camaraderie was nice. It was good to have a conversation about nothing serious, just about the stuff that happens every day. 

I miss that kind of connection.  While my job forces me to interact with strangers for very short increments of time, there is no connection, of course.  This is a hotel, not a book club.  People check in, they check out.  The hospitality industry is about being nice to people and making sure they are happy.  It doesn't work the other way:  they are not here to be nice to me or to make sure I am happy.  Which is how it should be; the last thing I need or want is someone monitoring my happiness levels.

However, I do miss having friends in close proximity.  Where I am now, I have one or two, and even those I see rarely because everyone is so busy all the time.  So my glasses of wine or my cocktails are usually consumed alone.  This isn't bad, I have lived by myself for 20 years so am happy drinking by myself.  But I miss that spontaneous "hey, join me for a glass of vino?" episode that plays out when you have friends in the neighborhood.

I guess I need to make friends where I live now.  I don't think that's going to happen but maybe I can put up a sign on the corner saying "free wine with conversation" and see who shows up.  I live two blocks from the Santa Rosa Junior College, there must be someone over there with a need for witty repartee.  

Or not.  And I don't want this blog to sound like I am whining.  I'm not.  I'm not lonesome or lonely.  Maybe I'm just getting tired of talking to myself.


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