social isolation

John was happy to be asked to take a role in a special world communion Sunday service at the UCC church, serving communion. Afterwards there was a birthday party for the pastor and John got himself some food and sat without talking to anyone and wanted to leave quickly.

He has several friends he keeps up with, but he has no interested in being involved in groups and committees. The problem tonight may in part have been his difficulty with hearing when there is background noise, though it wasn't a large group. I asked him a month or so ago if he wanted to get trained as a poll watcher and he said he had been thinking he would like to do that, but he didn't follow up on it.

I supposed that responding to people in a group may have the kind of complexity that he doesn't want to admit is hard for him. But his lack of any interest in being in community concerns me. I'm an introvert, but I believe in the importance of having community.