More Introspection

I've not posted lately. I suppose it might be because the closer I get to my 40th birthday, the more introspective I've become. Summer school also begins Monday, and I've been trying to get ready.¹

I was in Hattiesburg for a few days, but also had the time to go out with friends. Coppertop and I had some Japanese food over at Haru last week. We talked about several things: her wedding later this month; my upcoming birthday; work; book club.

I'm going to miss seeing Coppertop. She and her soon-to-be-hubby are moving to Texas. She's already invited me to come visit when I get a chance, and I may just take her up on it. She's a great friend.

I've been back here in the Jackson area for the past few days. FP and I went to Jerusalem Cafe Tuesday evening. I enjoyed being out with her. We talked about our plans for the next few days. For her, she'll be attending a wedding. For me, I'm off to Hattiesburg after work this afternoon. We also made plans for next week.²

My mother wants me to help watch the shop while she's attending some sort of conference or workshop. I don't know what, but she said that it'd be nice if I were there Saturday morning as opposed to Saturday afternoon. My mother likes being busy, and with me being the nearest child³ to her, I'm the one asked to do the honey-dos, which I don't mind as long it doesn't interfere too much with my life.

I like going out. I like being with friends. I sometimes think that it's been a bit more difficult for me.

It's not that I'm a wallflower. I'm not. When I was younger and living in a small town and attending a very small school, I found it difficult to relate to people and often felt like I was alone.⁴

In a way, I'm somewhat jealous of my friends who lived here in the Jackson area when they were children. I know I wish I lived here some thirtysomething years ago.⁵

I'll be back at work Monday. I'm working Monday night until 8. I'm taking Tuesday off since that's my birthday. Sadly, I have to use annual leave. My birthday's not considered a holiday here like it was (and still is) at one of my former employers.
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¹Getting ready as far as I'm concerned this summer means getting away from the library for a few days. I desperately needed a break. I may take more breaks away from the library during the summer, but perhaps not for as many days and hours as I did last month.

²Dinner and a show.

³My older sister and her family live in Georgia, and what with her being a doctor and having three sons, she's not wanting to come over for honey-dos, she wants to relax, and I don't blame her one bit.

⁴More than once when I was in college, people who knew me from high school commented that I had changed. It wasn't that I had changed. I had no sustained comfort level in high school.

⁵Because I would have exposed to more and different types of people. One tough thing about growing up in a rural community is that there were very few people with whom I felt comfortable being open with while socializing, and many activities of interest to a lot of people when I was younger weren't really of interest to me, and still aren't. I kept my own counsel and maintained a shell around me. However, the more I've gotten to know people here, the more comfortable I've become.