The question of the day has made me pause and think (always a good thing, I guess).
Do I like crowds and parties or peace and quiet? I don’t really like this question since it suggests that I must do one or the other.
I won’t say that I don’t like crowds since I have no problem going to events where there are large groups of people; for example, going to the theatre, sporting events or outdoor fairs pose no problems for me. However, at those events I am not expected to engage with anyone from the crowd. I find that when I am at a large, loud, crowded party where I must socially engage with a large number of people, I end up feeling physically and emotionally exhausted, often times coming down with a headache. In such environments, I have found myself fleeing to a room where I can just sit and quietly converse with a small group of guests.
At the risk of sounding all airy-fairy-woo-woo, I think I can say that I may have some empathic tendencies. It may be that in crowds I can put up a defense to block out the waves of energy from strangers. However, I may have more difficulty riding the waves of energy coming from too many people I know all at the same time.
I’ll have to give this question a little more thought and do a little experimentation the next time I find myself with a large group of people.
Until then, “Shields up!”
ljg 2013
Miss Pelican's Perch 