So the Christmas Weekend is coming to a close. Time keeps on marching. Forever can go by quickly. Days seem long and years short. We set our sails for the troubled sea of 2026. It is not our first voyage. Shall we make resolutions, or shall we live with a sense of place each day? Circumstances change, we do not. Many are introverts. Not all people are people persons. We love humanity; it is the individuals who are challenging. Introverts watch people. They love the interaction that they observe. We are a bit reluctant to participate. After holiday revelry, we must recharge. We introverts have to think and ponder what just happened. There are places for everyone in our hearts, one at a time.

‘Be sure and pack the sunburn protectant,’ SC said. ‘I will be glad to see the beach after the drop in temperature at home,’ SC grinned. ‘It was a successful Christmas by all accounts,’ SC continued. ‘There is so much more to do,’ SC sighed. ‘Let’s take the taller beach chairs, as it is increasingly difficult to sit in the ones that are so near the sand,’ SC laughed. ‘We are getting older, MaMa, and I wonder how much longer we will be able to do what we do,’ SC questioned. ‘My knees hurt, and I have to think about rising from my easy chair,’ SC noted with chagrin. ‘Each year, more of my abilities are leaving me, although I reach and grasp to claw them back,’ SC said. ‘I walked the beach for miles past January. Now I walk slowly and take a lot of photos,’ Santa Claus noted with a benevolent smile. ‘Nevertheless, we will eat Gulf shrimp tonight and watch the peaceful ocean,’ Santa said.

So the end-of-year people gathered. They came from the four corners of the Earth. Some had backpacks while others carried no possessions. Many were reluctant to join the journey with so many diverse people whom they did not know. People from other lands and cultures who dressed and looked different from those they grew up around. The Introverts came with quiet and wide eyes. They watched as many gathered on the road home. The Introverts saw that everyone was helping the person next to them. It seemed that no one was left out. It was good to be a member of the Happy Travelers. What a great club to be a part of! The Happy Travelers or HTs were a diverse and gregarious bunch. Quiet people and those who spoke loudly walked hand in hand. Some had clear eyes, others had cataracts walking arm in arm along the rocky, hilly path. Some had stopped along the route. They were tired and sick, weary of the year-by-year walk toward home. Their feelings were bruised. It seemed they had been left out of the mission. ‘I will sit on the sidelines and watch the parade pass,’ the Introvert said. ‘My abilities are meager, and others see my dearth of resources,’ Mr. Introvert said. ‘Many have more ability and education to address the vagaries of the Path,’ Mr. Introvert noted. ‘My strength is watching and learning,’ Mr. Introvert postulated. ‘2026 is at our doorstep, perhaps it is time for all Introverts to come to the aid of their country,’ Mr. Introvert said with conviction. ‘The challenges of the New Year will require the best of all, including the millions of Introverts, to negotiate the Rock Path Home,’ Mr. Introvert said with a tear in his eye.