actually a lot less depressed than this sounds

[baratron]

Stuff. Things. Things. Stuff.

For a few months now over a year I have had significantly less energy for keeping in contact with people than I used to have. As I am one of the only people I know who is extroverted in the gaining energy from being around people meaning of the word, this means that a huge number of my more casual relationships have just dropped off the radar - because if I don't have the energy to keep in contact with them, that means I don't hear from them. There are people I care about who I haven't "spoken" to in over a year. I read their journals (sometimes) and that's it.

I'm catching up with lj after another longish period of not reading it and completely in passing I've just discovered several unpleasant things that happened to people I care about too long ago for sympathy expressed now to be any use. (Did any of that grammar make sense?). There are >100 journals on my friends list, most of which I never read and most of whom don't read me - but I don't want to drop people off my list if I trust them to read my personal posts (which is the criteria I use for adding people & why I'm constantly annoyed at lj's lumping together "trusted people" and "watched journals" - there are journals I watch of people I don't know and can't trust).

I suppose this is another of my periodic pleas for people to get in touch. Actually phone me up or email or text and let's make concrete plans to do something. Because otherwise you'll just go on with your life and I'll just go on with my life, being lonely from lack of people but without enough energy to break barriers of "oh, we haven't actually talked in 2 years, what the devil is going on with your life?" sort of thing. There are too many names in my address book of people I never talk to, too many names on my lj friends list of people I no longer know.

I don't even know why I'm whining here, because only about 10 people actually read my journal, anyway.

Meh.

Comments

[okoshun.livejournal.com]

I've found I've had the same problem with keeping in touch, except I'm an introvert, so it goes with the territory, I guess.

Unless the person is on LJ or lives within spitting distance of my home, I'm unlikely to contact them or make plans.

If they don't have e-mail, it's even less likely that I'll be contacting them anytime soon. Phoning people is too scary.

I really should pick up the phone and phone some of my old friends. It's been too long.

[trinker.livejournal.com]

Er...we only really know each other via online means, so...

[quiet000001.livejournal.com]

*waves hello*

Been very busy. Trying to unearth house for Christmas.

*hugs*

[ceno.livejournal.com]

I read your journal, and I'm about to start writing you an email.

*anti-meh squish*

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

I read your journal.

Louise from alt.poly.

[kshandra]

I still read you. And I totally understand the "no energy to stay in touch" thing. Combined with an (as-yet undiagnosed, but quite probable) anxiety disorder, it's amazing I talk to anyone at all.

*hugs if you'll have them*

[hiddenpaw.livejournal.com]

I can sympatise with this. I never seem to have the energy/money to keep up with folk like I used to. It seems harder and harder to drag other people out as well.
I always end up with the feeling that I'm the only one I know who organises any kind of going out at all. (Not strictly true, there is one other person on my freinds list that organises things to do on a regularish basis.)
I kind of miss the old days, But then again I find myself needing the time to do things.
P.S. I sometimes get the feeling nobody reads my journal, then I post something that hits a courd and end up very suprised by the profusion of people who reply (Sometimes even I don't know who they are)

[nitoda]

I read ... when I read Lj at all, that is. I did think I would be able to keep up more when I started my new job, but like many things in life, the reality is not at all what I expected it to be and I find I am so busy with legitimate work tasks that i don't read Lj at work ... it's as much as I can do some days to find time to look in on my private email once a day at lunchtime! Then when I get home a) there is competition over computers as we now have two working PCs between three of us and b) I'm often too tired to want to look at a screen and c) there's always that personal email which gets priority over Lj!

As to weekends ... well they are great in theory but in practice involve lots of housework and laundry and little energy for actually getting in a car and driving somewhere.

My only other excuse is that I tend to the introverted in that social contact is tiring, in the main, though I have to say that when we came to your housewarming it was one of the least tiring social occasions I can remember in a long time, mainly because I feel SO comfortable around you and your friends! :-)))

I have been thinking of trying to get over to see you ... will think some more and try ringing sometime, but have major anxieties about ringing people when I think/know they are busy and work in the evenings etc. Drop me an email about when is the best time to ring?

HUGS!

[nmg.livejournal.com]

I still read your journal!

[elfgeek.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about 'only 10 ppl read my LJ', these days I hardly get comments on any of my posts and always from the same few ppl, but when I go to meet folks in a pub they all suddenly seem to know what's going on in my life! I know from experience how annoying this is, but hang in there, it's probably more ppl than you think who read your posts. Considering that my girlfriend gets more twice as many comments per post than me at a friends-list that until recently was almost half the size of mine, I can only conclude that it depends on what kind of LJ-friends you have on your list, how comment-whoring they are with each other and how much they are online.

Can sympathise with not getting out to meet ppl, I'm crap at organising meeting-up dates and I can only really afford to go into town once a week and let's face it who's going to come all the way out into Zone 4? Email is a lot easier but not as satisfying...

[bfo.livejournal.com]

Well I'm one who reads it.

hatter and I have been quite busy lately, but when life calms down again we'll try work out doing stuff.

[a-musing-amazon.livejournal.com]

Are you sure you only have 10 readers? I read your journal. Though I'm afraid that I don't post much having done so. Just know I am here for you. And, as nitoda says, we'll have to make time and come see you again - soon (the housewarming was fun).

[meirion.livejournal.com]

i read it; i am somewhat guiltily aware that i neither comment as much as i ought, nor have made the effort to get in touch (and it does nag at me occasionally, but i rarely have the tuits to do anything about it). sorry. will try to do better ...

-m-

[x-mass.livejournal.com]

Ok I admit It I intially read your journal 'cause you were alexa_robinsons partner. Whilst I had met your around Bicon we never really talked much, so we never really talked much. But now I've come to your house,a nd i've chatted to you and richard and like you both and enjoy your company and now like knowing whats happening with you, so I read your journal 'cause I want to and if you don't read mine - don't worry.
Hugs
kate

[lizw.livejournal.com]

I do read your journal, but I've learned the hard way that I don't have space in my schedule to meet up with more people on any kind of regular basis, unless they are in central London often enough to make regular lunch dates a sensible option. I'm sorry.

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry that I can't help much from this side of the large pond, but if e-communication is at least somewhat good for you, I can be found reasonably often at:

ICQ: 735561
AIM: TahrFantstico
MSN: mightyif@hotmail.com
Yahoo!: justanif
Skype: skyMaize

I've been meaning to leave Skype (http://www.skype.com/) on more often, as I think talking to people realtime for free is really nifty. I'm going to try to make more of a habit of it. The other four I leave connected all day at work, so I'm on them quite a bit.

[memevector.livejournal.com]

I read your journal but only rarely have time/energy/spoons to write comments (to anyone not just you).

actually I was meaning to get in touch and say: can I have your current postal address? because I wanted to send you something. I did have your address but I know you moved and I don't think I have the current one (apologies if you put it up on LJ and I've forgotten).

[esbat.livejournal.com]

As I've said before, I read your posts and comment if I think there's anything worthwhile I can say. Lately though I've been playing catch-up quite a bit. *hugs*

Im still out there..

[(Anonymous)]

Im still out there... just physically far away from a lot of people that I know, miss and care about from my past... which you are one off.

Cliffy.