Alone time

Jul 14, 2017 | 8 comments |

Like most writers, I’m an introvert. Although I can extrovert when I have to (at conferences and reader events, for example), I’m happiest living inside my head and need frequent alone time, preferably at home, to recharge before facing the world again.

As I write this post, though, I’m in a very unfamiliar place for me—a house that is quiet, empty, and has been that way for the past four days. Tech Guy works away from home between Monday and Friday so I’m used to his comings and goings. However, this week, English Rose has also been away visiting family, and busy Floppy Ears has spent several days at doggy camp.

This is the longest stretch of time I’ve spent entirely on my own since those long-ago days when I was a single woman with a cozy city apartment. Yet, despite the pangs of maternal guilt for both child and canine, I’ve rediscovered certain advantages of a (temporarily) solitary life.

I can eat what I want, when I want to. While I’d never advocate ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and supper (*cough*), there’s a certain liberation that comes from not worrying about what and when other people need to eat.

I can watch what I want, when I want to. My collection of Jane Austen films sits undisturbed on top of the DVD player, and there is no one to sigh, grunt, or make a somewhat constipated face when I watch Persuasion for the umpteenth time. Ditto Netflix and the Hallmark movies dear to my heart.

Binge reading. You won’t be surprised to know that one of my most favorite things to do is read—to curl up in a comfy chair and escape into the world of a story for hours on end. In recent years, however, extended reading time has been more a luxury than regular occurrence.

But this week (and apart from the flashlight under the covers), I’ve read as I did in childhood, feasting on books at mealtimes, in the bath, and on the back porch accompanied by a soundtrack of sweet summer sounds.

All the laundry is in the hamper and nearby surfaces are free of dirty clothes. The laundry pile has also stopped growing exponentially, and I’m briefly at a point where the amount of laundry in my house is exactly equal to the number of people who live here.

With uninterrupted work time, my productivity has shot up. While books, blog posts, and everything else that is part of a writer’s life will never write themselves, things go more quickly with dedicated time to focus on them.  

Yet, even as I’ve been savouring this alone time, holed up working on a new book and preparing for the publication of Summer on Firefly Lake (now less than two weeks away!), there has been a big empty space in my life—and my heart—that no amount of reading, work, or the absence of laundry could ever fill.

Back when I lived in that cozy city apartment, I longed for a husband and family. I had all the solitude in the world, but I was lonely. This week has reminded me how much I love my husband, daughter, and furry child, and how quickly time with those we cherish slips away.

So when they come home later today, I’ll hug them close and tell them once again what they mean to me. Before dealing with that inevitable mountain of dirty clothes…

8 Comments

  1. Jennifer Wilck

    When my girls were little, they belonged to a group that did father/daughter activities, including a weekend campout two or three times a year. I’d live for those 3 days to myself, and relish the return of my husband and girls, satisfied with the break it gave me. I know exactly how you feel. Glad you had time to enjoy and glad they’re coming back where they belong.

    Reply
    • Jen Gilroy

      Thanks, Jennifer. A group with father/daughter activities sounds wonderful! I think that an important part of “mom life” is also having time to yourself. At least for me, it helps me appreciate my “mom role” even more.

      Reply
  2. Lynn Folliott

    Alone time…when life is crazy, we long for it but when we finally have it, we end up longing for the important people in our lives. Another meaningful post Jen and you enjoy Persuasion too…the one with Amanda and Ciaran. Wishing you a happy family reunion!

    Reply
    • Jen Gilroy

      Thank you for reading and commenting, Lynn. I’m glad the post resonated with you. Yes, “Persuasion” is my favourite Austen novel, and I have the version of the film you mention, as well as the ITV production (shown on British television).

      Reply
  3. Kate Field

    I envy you your Persuasion time! I’m glad you had a productive week even if it was a lonely one! x

    Reply
    • Jen Gilroy

      Thank you, Kate. Perhaps one day we’ll be able to watch ‘Persuasion’ together! It would be fab to share it with you in person!x

      Reply
  4. Susanna Bavin

    I’m so pleased to know that you have had some time to yourself. It is something we all long for in this busy world. Some unadulterated “me time” when you get to make all the choices is just perfect… for a while.

    The trouble is that your description of your time home alone sounds so enticing that I think next time it happens, you may find your writer friends and blog followers knocking on your door and asking to join in!

    Looking forward to Publication Day! xxx

    Reply
    • Jen Gilroy

      Your comment made me chuckle, Susanna. I have a mental image of people on my porch, luggage in hand! Pyjama party, perhaps?!

      Thanks, as always, for reading and supporting my blog. xxx

      Reply

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