I am sixty years old. I no longer expect friends or relatives to cross the threshold of my house.
At my age, the notion of entertaining guests in my home has drifted away like mist over the Thames. Many of those once close to me seem to think I am too haughty, but, to tell the truth, I simply have no patience to care much for the opinions of others.
The biggest reason Ive stopped inviting people over is my own bone-deep laziness. Keeping up a home has grown wearisome. It used to mean not only putting everything in order, but also fussing over cakes and biscuits to serve. These days, I lack both the funds and the spirit to bother with all that. Why cant we just meet for a cuppa at the teahouse on the High Street? Theres no law that says we must sit about in someones parlour.
Theres something else, toothe gloomy air that some people trail in behind them. Not every guest comes with a light heart, and why should I be lumbered with their woes? Each time people left, Id find the place filled with a cold heaviness, and my spirits sank like a wet umbrella. I grew tired of sacrificing my own contentment. Since I stopped opening my door to all and sundry, my old nightmares and sleepless nights have finally faded away.
And anyway, Im a retiree now, left rattling around my own flat with the endless sound of the mantel clock. Why should I stay home, waiting for company, when there are galleries to visit, parks to stroll, and the odd antique market to wander through? Whats the use in fussing, only to be left with half-emptied teapots and muddy footprints to scrub up after?
Our town is packed with cosy pubs, bustling tearooms, and lively places to spend an afternoon. In this day and age, who says we have to celebrate every birthday or name day boxed up within four walls? I want to savour that freedom without dashing around the house with a broom and a duster all day.
Now, my tiny flat is my little kingdom. Theres no place here for those I dont truly need. Some might tag me as an inhospitable oddball, but thats not the truth at all.
I wonder, do you feel the same?
