This one really depends on precise circumstances. I’ll explain.

It’s quite simple really. It depends on the company, and where we are. If I am with easy-going people, I am quite comfortable, and content to sit quietly with them, and chat a bit. I don’t mind the company of exuberant people, to a degree. I can tolerate a lot of, shall we say, busy-ness, to a point, but sometimes, I want peace and quiet, and sometimes, the company I’m in doesn’t, and then I might desire more alone time.

My life is set up in such a way that alone time doesn’t happen often, and I certainly don’t want it for prolonged periods. It is pleasant to have the house to myself for a few hours here and there, though it would swiftly grow tedious if there was no one else around for long spells. It’s the same with work. During the early 2021 lockdown, my then-boss and I were the only two working, and no customers were allowed into the store. This went on for three months, and we were entitled to have days off, which meant when my boss was off, I was on my own, in a store with no customers. During weekends, this meant a 9-5 or 10-4 shift, and in the week, an 8-5.30 shift, without seeing another soul.

This wasn’t maybe as bad as I fear I’ve made it out to be. At work, there were still things to do. There were a few telephone orders. There were administrative things to do. The store needed cleaning. However, these tasks didn’t occupy loads of time. There were periods where you were desperate for human contact. If we hadn’t had the radio, I might have gone completely stir-crazy.

I can certainly completely happy in my own company. Sometimes, I’ve done some fairly long train journeys on my own, and I’ve been happy to listen to music or read. Like I said, it depends on the circumstances. I guess that is true for all walks of life.