I'm alone in the office now. Perhaps not so surprising, given that it's 11:30 on a Sunday. I finished what I needed to finish this weekend, if not all that I wanted to finish; and so now I'm taking a few minutes to just enjoy the quiet.
When it's just me here, I can listen to the radio on speakers rather than on earphones (the
program right now is World Cafe,
a PRI program).
I can take breaks to stretch or practice kicks without unnerving anyone.
I can pace, or hum absent-mindedly, or gaze into space without unintenionally staring at
someone (I'm told this can be unnerving).
I appreciate my time alone, whether it's spent working or playing or just thinking. I think I appreciate it more late in the evening; social graces take some effort for me, and when I start to wind down for the day, I become even more reticent than usual. I'll smile; I'll listen, and even listen actively; but I won't feel like saying anything for myself. So ask early if you want to know what I thought about that REM song, or about the two gentlemen practicing in the park this morning. (A word to the wise: guard your head, particularly if you favor a stance with your weight balanced forward -- and if you're going to use that style of leg block, put some thought into covering your groin, too.)