Introverts and COVID-19

Some of my extroverted friends were upset.  “The governor issued a stay-at-home order.  He said, ‘Shelter in place.’  We can’t go shopping.  We can’t go to the club.  We can’t go to the theater.  We can’t take the kids to the park.  We can’t even stand close enough to people to talk.

“We’ll go crazy!” they cried.  What are we gonna do?”

I tried not to smile.

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You see, I am, to some extent, an introvert.  I’m not completely comfortable in crowds.  I don’t like going to places with a lot of other people.  I don’t drink or party and I couldn’t care less about going shopping unless it’s to pick up something I/we need.

Don’t get me wrong, I usually get along fine with people and, heck, if Annie and I have a gathering with just our sons, daughters-in-law, and grandkids it’s 24 people.  That’s a pretty good size crowd right there.

We live in the country and there’s always plenty to do around here and, even if Annie and I are working on the same project together, we are often not close enough together to be called social distancing…just distant.

But there are some people around who like to be alone most of the time.  Heck, they make me look like a party animal.

They are the true introverts.

I was doing some online research this past week and ran across a site full of tweets sent out by introverts.  As I said before, in many ways I can relate to them.  I really think I could handle staying at home for a few weeks and it wouldn’t bother me at all.

Let’s see what the introverts say about the situation.  (I hope you’ll understand that I resisted the urge to correct the spelling, grammar, and punctuation in their posts.  Well, for the most part.  😉)

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Jenn Granneman @JennGranneman says: Introverts are desperate for social distancing to end so everyone they live with will leave the house

Aparna Nancherla @aparnapkin said: oh nowwww everyone wanna know what introverts do for fun

Marzi @IntrovertDoodle believes: Social distancing level: EXPERT 

Introvert Life @IntrovertLiving asks: All the health experts are saying #StayHome. Okay… where were you guys when I was disappointing my friends and family by doing that for years?

Daniel Howell @danielhowell asserts: ‘social distancing’ please i’ve been training for a pandemic my entire life introverts rise up we’re finally valid

DESSERT DADDY @alphauterus begs: Now I’m getting too many invites for virtual get togethers or shows and it’s too overwhelming. For someone with a hectic schedule, this is a nice break. Let me wallow in this solitude

Chris Enns @iChris added: Introverts barely got a day or two of solitude before the extroverts came banging on the virtual door with Zoom calls and Google Hangouts. 

Luvvie is currently writing book 2 @Luvvie pleads: Check on those of us who are introverts but married to extroverts who now have to stay in the house. We are not okay. 

Bree Newsome Bass @BreeNewsome said: Shout out to all the genuine introverts who still aren’t showing up even when all the social engagements have moved online

shelley rome @Shelley_Rome brags: Hey introverts…this is our time. I’m on day 7 of only leaving my house to go to 7/11 once and I’m def not even close to peak boredom

Brit Bennett @britrbennett predicts: Hardest introvert thing right now is extracting yourself from lengthy Zooms when your friends know you have nowhere else to be 

Introvert, Dear @IntrovertDear has a request: When all of this is over, please continue to stay 6 feet away from me.

stay home @ThomasBeautyy asks: any other introverts now have the sudden urge to leave their house because now we’re not supposed to leave our house? Lol

Chiara Snowdancer @ChiaraYoung2 exclaims: Riddle me this, how am I in isolation and tired of people? 

sarah @SillySarah_Karp opines: Really need this time of social distancing to prepare for all the “we should get together once this is all over” plans I’ve agreed to. 

Michelle Keener @MKeenerWrites laughs: Introverted Me: Stay inside for 2 week? No problem. I love quiet & solitude
Extroverted Husband: Hey! Hey! Talk to me. Watch this video. What are you doing? Can I do it too? Where are you going? I’m here! Let’s do stuff!

Sugar Jones @SugarJones exclaims: All the introverts are all celebrating as cabin fever starts to set in for all the extroverts… 

Jenn Granneman @JennGranneman brags: Introverts: flattening the curve since forever

Sammy Rhodes @sammyrhodes believes: Every Zoom meeting is just an escape room for introverts.

Dragon Mami @muslamicchai says: People think introverts are having it easy because they don’t go out. We do. We go out alone. And we miss it.

MermanHellville@ghostofhunterst replied to @aparnapkin: If introverts were in charge we wouldn’t have a pandemic

Then Someone Else 私は自分ではない@Silent_Hill_1 replied: to @ghostofhunterst and @aparnapkin Unfortunately for introverts, being in charge is an inherently extroverted activity.

Grumpy_dwarf @life_after30 asked: I, an extrovert, am sending this tweet to my introvert best friend. Because really what do you people do all weekend????

MiguelClarkMallet@mar_de_palabras recommended: As for me, I spend a lot of time silently judging extroverts and reading.

allisa@allisa33435621 observes: I guess we can call ourselves the stay-at-home experts because we’ve stayed at home often for many years lol

ॐ@_Badgalxx brags: You realize how isolated you have been when a world pandemic happens & you need to make almost zero changes to your lifestyle 

HKS@hksbks asks: Are any other #introverts out there personally offended by the fact that everyone’s inside doing things by themselves now? I was self-quarantining before it was cool.

Queen INTJ @IntjQueen jokes: Introverts in Quarantine Day 20: I have had enough of all this solitude. I miss the excitement of being outside around other people. I miss the laughter and the conversation. *Walks in Grocery Store* That’s enough. I need to get back home. I miss Quarantine.

quietandstrong@quietandstrong observed: Time management strategies for #introverts should include time to think, quiet time to do, and some time to recharge. I am finding these strategies to still be very important in my new virtual work environment. 

Amy Bigbee Grosso, PhD@AmyLGrosso worries: I just offered My six year old ice cream if he would stop talking for five min… he might weigh 600 lbs at the end of this. 

◦•●◉✿𝕊α𝐘ᒎ✿◉●•◦Ⓥ@thevegansnuts requested: INTROVERTS: Check in on your extrovert friends…They are NOT OK.

According to Jenn Granneman @JennGranneman: Me: Wow there are bad things happening in my life and around the world right now. I’m soooooo stressed. Extrovert Friend: Do you want to talk about it on the phone? Me: … Nah I’m good. 

Introvert, Dear @IntrovertDear said: My favorite part of social isolation is that I no longer have to think of excuses on why I can’t go to social events.

My favorite part of social isolation is that I no longer have to think of excuses on why I can’t go to social events.

Shaun Farrelly @ShaunFarrelly had this to say: I’ve been spending Friday nights in for years. Now, everyone’s doing it. Welcome to an introvert’s world

Fair Dinkum Unbelievable – Stay Safe People @PassingThru70 said: Government: for the next 6 months or so we’ll need you to stay at home, don’t go out, avoid large crowds, keep your distance from people. Workplace: you’ll need to work from home also. Introverts: Oooookay!

Nash Rose@nashingtonrose observes: The hardest part about this quarantine bulls–t is pretending I don’t love it. 

Krissi @KrissiBex thinks: I always thought I was an extrovert Until I realized how much I am truly enjoying saving the world by avoiding all people 

Wordsforintroverts @4introverts says: You know you’re an introvert when you need alone time … during quarantine.

Darren Douglas @sablednah said: Can we continue contact-free delivery as an option after the pandemic? 

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            So now I know a few things.  I know how witty true introverts can be; I know that I am not the only person who is weathering this pandemic with a sense of humor; and I know that I don’t really understand how tweeting works.

            Oh, and I have no idea what # and @ mean or why tweeters use them.  I think I’ll stay home and try to figure it out.

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