Drained. Most people do not realize how draining socializing is for some people. Introverts are often regarded as shy people and some are even shamed for it. What people has to understand is that not everyone is a social butterfly. There are people who does not enjoy other people’s company, and there are people who does enjoy it, but still find it draining at the end of the day. It may not be like that for the majority but they do exist and they should be allowed to do as they please.
Communication is important but not everything has to be communicated. Some people like to process their thoughts on their own and not share them to anyone. And that’s okay. That should be perfectly okay. Those people do not shame you for being loud so why shame them for being quiet?
I’ve been called several times as ‘nasa loob ang kulo’ when I finally try to voice out my thoughts. Saan ako lulugar? When they see me minding my own business, I was called shy, and proud as if I do not find them worthy of my time. But when I finally engage with them and became transparent about my sentiments, they shame me for “showing my true colors.”
So I stopped listening to them altogether. I live as I please. I do not worry about their approval. I realized that at the end of the day, what matters most is that I get to enjoy this short life of mine.