Quiet.

"Now that you're an adult, you might still feel a pang of guilt when you decline a dinner invitation in favor of a good book. Or maybe you like to eat alone in restaurants without the pitying looks from fellow diners. Or you're told that you're "in your head too much", a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. 

Of course, there's another word for such people: thinkers."

- Susan Cain, Quiet

I chanced upon Quiet last Friday when I was out alone in my attempts to compose myself after a long, tiring week. It was the third book I picked up and read through and at the 3rd page, I was sold. But then I told myself that I needed more convincing because this was one of the more expensive books out of the 3, so I shouldn't be making an impulse buy. 

I reached the 7th page and saw the passage above. I was so amused at how well I was able to relate to it and decided that it.must.be.MINE! 

Haven't progressed that much from that page but only because I've been so busy! (told you that it'd be impossible to take a break in the midst of our impending move to our new home... but all is well, Alhamdulillah). Plus, I'm trying not to finish the book (and every other book I've been reading, really) by rushing through the passages just to prove that I can still speed-read a book; it's all about the details now and I quite like it that way. 

Anyway. The book suggested that I try broaching the subject of Quiet with a group of friends just to gauge their reaction. Since my colleagues and I seem to be suffering from a horrible bout of "Monday Blues", wherein we're almost literally sleepwalking through the day especially after that heavy lunch that we had together... I tried asking them what they thought of "time alone".

  Surprisingly (to me at least)... my colleagues, who are supposedly outgoing, outspoken, out of this world people who would go out of the way for everything lawyers echo Quiet. They are... technically, what this world of ours would call... introverts.

We don't mind shopping alone, eating alone, going out alone, being alone sometimes.... although technically that personalty trait just doesn't jive with being a lawyer by profession.

No wonder I get along so well with them! We're all weird lawyers!!! Hahahaha. 

Anyways, this post was just to say that I've actually started reading more since the past year although I alternate from one book from another, plus, for some books, I even write down notes (skema alert!!!). Haven't really had the time to review them all, but glad that I've somehow managed to squeeze in my once favourite pastime back into my life. 

Slowly but surely, in sha Allah! 

Now, I'm going to go and enjoy some Quiet.