Working from Home Makes Me, Like, 85 Years Old

If there has ever been an award for Best Clever Mockery on an album cover, it must have gone to Nellie McKay's 2004 release, Get Away From Me. I love her triumphant expression, paired with her shocking potty mouth and quirky gangster-rap-musical-theatre inspired songs. I imagine her as a long lost distant musical cousin.

While I appreciate the ribbing of Norah Jones' Come Away With Me (I think we can all agree we were force-fed that album), what I appreciate more is the sentiment.

I am a curmudgeon. I often feel like McKay looks--arms outstretched, ready to embrace the world and its wonders, yet simultaneously eager to be left alone. Mostly so I can grumble in the privacy of my own home or blog. While I don't fundamentally dislike humanity, my socializing half-life is short and the fewer people around me, the better. I think that is why I love being married so much. I have my best friend all to myself forever.

It might be considered odd that I love performing as it requires me to sing to crowds of strangers, but I rarely interact with anyone directly, and I'll duck away from the audience at the end of a show like a bootleg DVD seller who spots a police officer heading her way.

This disposition was fine as long as I had enough reasons to leave the house, forcing me to regularly interact with people. However, even though I've only worked from home for about two weeks now, it's been sufficiently long enough to give me a peculiar disposition, and possibly, disadvantage in society.

I am, officially, 85 years old.

I now feel uneasy simply going to the dentist. I get jumpy when approached by someone unexpectedly and drive at least 10 miles per hour under posted speed limits.

When I do find a stranger I'm comfortable talking to, I'll casually mention that I discovered the secret to crisp, yet chewy, cookies. I find Rachel Ray passable and today I lunched when Dr. Phil was on, raising my brow, "Who knew 11 year old girls needed the HPV vaccine?...little sluts!"

And while working from home is my greatest dream come true, I'm wondering if it could potentially make me "age" faster, or further perpetuate and amplify my generally sour disposition.

I think there are some good things about being old at heart, and it's not just the delectable cookies. I think that though I've certainly not dealt with the kind of hardships that most of the world's population deals with, it sometimes feels like I've already had enough heartache for one life, last year being the hardest. However, I think with age comes wisdom, and at a certain point, even though life gets you down so much you cry uncle, you learn to simply throw up your hands and laugh.

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jrandom42

Do you wear purple yet?

July 22, 2008 3:17 pm
Milena Thomas

@jrandom42

Oh my gosh. I thought about wearing a purple shirt today. Knit even. It's happening. It's really happening.

July 22, 2008 3:24 pm
Monica O'Brien

Milena, I don't think it's strange at all to be comfortable doing performance yet not want to be around people all the time. I'm the exact same way with singing.

I think a big part of it for me is that with a performance I basically have it memorized, so I don't have to improv. any of it. There's less emotional energy involved, even if the performance is emotional.

Talking to people all the time takes a lot of energy - sometimes it is nice to get back to the house and curl up with a good book.

July 22, 2008 8:20 pm
Milena Thomas

I didn't know you were a singer? Off topic, but what kind of music do you perform?

I wish I were a bit more improvisational with my music, my husband is not classically trained, and he often rifs and improvs on his solos, and it seems like he's having more fun! : )

I've tried scatting, improvising, or even writing my own music with some success, but not without trepidation. I'm much more shy about improvisational singing than writing, for example. I write to have fun. I sing because it's my discipline.

You are right, it does take energy to be "on." I can do it, but it's not my default!

July 22, 2008 9:40 pm
Erika

I think what you're going through is a normal adjustment to changing your social habits. I started working from home in February and went through much the same thing.

My advice, even though you didn't ask for it, is to just pay attention to your health (if you start feeling isolated/lonely/disatisfied/etc. it's your mind's way of telling you that you need more human interaction) and make sure you stretch yourself.

Age is a mindset. As long as you continue to seek adventures and don't grow complacent you will be only as old as you think you are.

July 22, 2008 10:51 pm
Milena Thomas

@Erika

I'm always asking for advice! As a blog writer, I think that is the default unless you take away the comment box...

I'm glad you tell me I'm normal. And I do get interaction, but mostly evenings and weekends when I teach students, go out, or hang out w/ my husband.

During the day is when I'm pretty cut off from people. On one hand it's nice because I can be alone to focus on whatever I have planned, but I think I need to build in ways to interact more...

Thanks for your thoughts!

July 22, 2008 11:14 pm

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