I Was Just Trying to Sit Quietly… Apparently That’s Controversial 😶📚🙃

There I was... headphones on, book open, sitting in a public space like a perfectly functioning introvert.

I wasn’t bothering anyone.

I wasn’t making noise.

I had assumed naively that I was safe.

Reader, I was not safe. 😐

Because somehow, in the eyes of the socially fearless, a person minding their business is not peace-loving they're an invitation.

A challenge.

A blank slate ready to absorb unsolicited monologue. 🗣️

This is the introvert paradox… the quieter you are, the more people want to talk to you. 😩

Let’s paint the scene.

I’m in a waiting room, headphones in (not even playing music, just worn as a universal symbol for "do not engage"), reading a book.

I am the picture of social unavailability.

The human equivalent of an out-of-office email. 📭

But then... she appears. 🌪️

A smiling, well-meaning woman who bypasses twelve empty chairs to sit directly next to me.

And with a sparkle in her eye and the kind of optimism I only have for soft cheeses, she asks...

"What are you reading?"

My soul leaves my body. 👻

I perform the universal half-laugh (no teeth, barely audible), show her the cover, and pray it ends there.

But no.

She launches into her literary life story.

Her favourite books.

Her cat’s name.

Her cousin’s book club drama. 🐈📖💬

Five minutes in, I know more about her than some of my friends.

Meanwhile, I’m nodding like a friendly bobble head.

Why do people do this?

Why do they ignore every signal that says, "I am not up for a chat"?

Do the headphones scream "please interrupt" in extrovert dialect?

Are open books now conversation starters? 😵‍💫

Let me be clear… I am not anti-people.

I am pro-boundaries. 🧘‍♀️

And sitting quietly with a book is not a cry for help it’s an act of emotional preservation. 💆‍♀️

Extroverts…  I love your energy.

Truly.

But not when I’m in stealth mode. 🥷

If I’m wearing headphones, that’s my invisibility cloak.
If I’m reading a book, that’s my holy ritual.
If I’m in a public place not making eye contact, assume I’m meditating through sheer willpower. 🧠✨

And look, I get it this woman wasn’t trying to ruin my day.

She was probably just being nice.

But niceness without nuance is just noise.

And introverts are allergic to noise. 🧠🚫🔊

So, here’s a small plea on behalf of every quietly seated overthinker who just wants to exist in peace... let us.

Let us be the background characters in your sitcom. 🎬

Let us recharge.

Let us sit in silence without needing to recount our favourite genre or cat’s name.

Because next time someone interrupts my sacred headphone book bubble, I might just start whispering cryptic things like,
"The prophecy is unfolding," and see if that buys me some space. 🧙‍♀️📘😌

Quiet isn’t rude.

It’s a vibe.

And we’re just trying to maintain it. ✌️🕯️