The Quiet man and woman are listening. They are everywhere. Smiling and listening. Pondering what they have heard. Slow to speak but quick to learn. Non-judgmental but observant. Harsh words and brash rhetoric are off-putting. Logic is their forte. Clown shows do not excite them. Theatre is to their liking. People are wonderful; they require a charged battery. We introverts must withdraw to recharge. Often we hear the extrovert brag on their accomplishments. We take note and admire. We introverts do not feel the need to comment on our lives. We were there. No audience required.

‘Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.’ Some of us do the aid thing quietly. Talk to an introvert loner thinker. They have a compendium of knowledge and wisdom. They think big thoughts mulled for years. The Roman Candle eclipsees the light of the little wax candle. Yet the wax candle burns each day and night while the Roman Candle is temporary. Of late, the brasest braggart captures the heart of the political arena. ‘Look at all I have done; I am rich; only I can protect you,’ the President said. ‘I went to good schools; I have a good brain; I consult with myself on critical decisions,’ P continued. The Carolina Wren sings. The House Finch looks around. The Cedar Waxwing shakes her head.

We introverts are like the three birds on the branch, with one of us confused. ‘How did one man do so much?’ the Cedar Waxwing says. ‘I do not get out much but have never heard such talk from a human,’ the House Finch observed. ‘I prefer to sing and let the people make what a logical assessment is.

Billy B sat in class and said little. He heard the pretty new teacher make suggestive comments to the senior boys. She was either attempting to be hip or had more serious designs. Billy B considered that the new teacher was not much older than her class. Billy B raised his hand on a few occassions but the new teacher never called on him. The class was Literature appreciation, and he had thoughts on the narrative being discussed. New Teacher preffered to talk at length with her club.

We introvert loners do not feel left out. A sense of place is our mantra. We know who we are and are satisfied with ourselves in our Place. The spotlight is harsh; you can not see the audience. Some think us unfriendly when we know what it is to be a friend. It is not mouthing the words I love you or apeing the mammalian motions of affection. Love means more than words; it is actions.

Introverts care deeply. They think deeply. They feel deeply. Salesman candied apple talk is repulsive. Loners are searching for real.