I am an anti-hermit.

I think I just made that word up. You'll probably want to use it after I explain what it means. Then I'll probably have to charge you a nickel for every time you say it.

Anti-hermitism is a revolt against all things that would force someone (such as myself) to become a hermit, or become secluded from the outside world. Therefore, I am a zealous supporter of anti-hermitism. I am an anti-hermit.

The reason behind the coinage of this term is in regards to the comment a friend of mine made earlier today. We were talking about how I am planning to move out of the dorms and into an actual apartment and, come summer time, I need to have a stable job in order to pay for said apartment. In response to this he said something along the lines of, "In addition to working, you're also going to be a nursing major, meaning you'll be virtually non-existent next year." I was taken by surprise, but recovered quickly enough to say, "Nuh-uh. I refuse to be a hermit."(I am so articulate sometimes, it's scary).

And that has always been the case for me (refusing to be a hermit, I mean, and not being articulate. Don't know where that came from). I don't think I blatantly disregard all my responsibilities, but some things just pale in comparison to spending time with people. And I love people. So much so that sometimes I do have to lock myself in a room (or a library) in order to get homework done.

So what will next year look like for me? Granted that I will be really busy, but I know myself enough to say that I will make time for people. What's a perfect GPA in nursing school worth, if I become disconnected to close friends? And will a well-endowed bank account matter, if I completely disregard spending time with people?

I know it's all about finding the right balance. Swaying too far into any of the two possible extremes would be detrimental to my emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. Actually, I see myself sitting right on the line between: blatant disregard for responsibilities and doing as much work necessary while spending time with important people in my life . I will definitely have to be careful and aware, in order to guard against swinging too far into the point of no return.

Why couldn't I just major in people-studies? No, I don't mean anthropology. That is entirely different from what I'm alluding too. In "people-studies," I would just hang out with friends and do all the things that friends do in order to ace my major.

yeah, but life doesn't work that way.

(p.s. maybe I sort of lied. I do become a hermit sometimes and can voluntarily stay away from people for hours at a time. So, maybe I'm not as zealous about anti-hermitism as I professed I was. Sorry! I was caught up in the moment.)