One is the loneliest number (but not really)

I think I've been getting a little too comfortable by myself. You know you reach this point when you start wondering whether hell really is other people. It's easy to imagine when you reach the point where the smallest things set you off (at least on the inside). Like when someone's laugh is a tiny pitch too high for your liking. Or when people just so happen to press every single floor before your own when they get into the elevator. Or when someone cuts you off on the road and you find yourself repeating that God's grace is sufficient for you to avoid an inevitably disastrous retaliation. Ok, maybe it's not that bad, but in short, I need to force myself to see people. Other than my boss, that is. 3 reasons why.

1. I'm forgetting how to communicate with other homo sapiens.

The other day, I was talking to one of the parking guys for my building and when he asked me how my boss was doing, I couldn't quite make out what he had asked me so I asked for clarification, but instead of saying "Excuse me?" or "I'm sorry?", I uttered some incoherence that can only described as something in between animal yelp and Cro-magnon man. It was literally:

Me: Hahaha too much work sometimes.

Parking guy: [smiling in agreement before asking] How's An?

Me: Huhhl?

I think he just stood there for a few seconds before repeating to me what he'd just said very slowly, sounding out every syllable of the simple two syllable question, like you would to an infant.

2. Nothing I see in the cave that I inhabit called the office holds any bearing on reality.

A few weeks ago I was introduced to the phrase "ftw". I then proceeded to type www.google.com in my address bar before typing "ftw" in the search bar. Google for the win.

3. I have no idea what's going on.

Last week my boss found out it was Columbus Day at 10 in the morning on the day of.

So did I. In fact, I had to google "federal holidays" to figure out when I wouldn't have to come in to work again.

I think for the last few weeks, it's been ok since I have my friends the book, the TV and exercise to keep me company. But I think I'm realizing now that I need to actually make an effort to see other people. This is something I've never had to do before. Strange.

*on an unrelated note, Redeemer.com just posted 150 Tim Keller sermons online for free. Looks like 150 more commutes are taken care of for me. Thanks John for the heads up.