Funeral of convenience

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

In my case, my ability to trust others is dead.
When I’m FTF, I become defensive, mistrustful, & avoid contacts.

Also, I live in a town where reading, when it isn’t the Bible or an assignment in school, is viewed as “odd”.

Although, I’ve always been an outsider.

[Neidhart]

I will say this to you, a stranger- I’ll bet if you stepped outside of your self, and looked at the things you think about, or your career, or the hobbies you have, there is something you have inside you to offer to the community you live in. It could be ANYTHING- but it might very well be something that would connect you to people you are not related to.

Cartooniverse, I don’t know. At present I feel like I don’t belong anyplace. I’m still out of work, and all my hobbies – reading, playing PC games, listening to music, going to the pictures – are solitary ones. No surprise, since even though I never had anything remotely approaching a social life, I only started to feel lonely a few years ago, around 1995.

OTOH, I DO know you, Neidhart, and I know that there’s no need for you to be alone when you do head into the twilight. You’re smart, alert, and have a lot of intelligent commentary to offer. I could easily see you sitting about with the other gaffers in your declining years, playing dominoes or checkers, commenting on the sad state of the world and offering advice to the young whippersnappers. All you’d need is a general store, and you’d be an instant community icon.

Heh, Tranquilis, that’s an interesting image! I can sort of see myself, sitting in a chair at the back of the CVS waiting for my arthritis prescription, complaining to anyone who’ll listen about how the neighborhood isn’t what it used to be.

[DeadlyAccurate]

At present I feel like I don’t belong anyplace. I’m still out of work, and all my hobbies – reading, playing PC games, listening to music, going to the pictures – are solitary ones. No surprise, since even though I never had anything remotely approaching a social life, I only started to feel lonely a few years ago, around 1995.

Since you have pretty much the same hobbies I do, I can’t see how you could be uninteresting to be around. If you want someone to talk games with, IM or email me (it should be in my profile). I have an online friend whom I’ve met in person once, but who I would consider a very good friend and most of our chats are about computer games.