"Friends'" misperceptions...

Ever know a person for an extended period of time and you reach a point where you realize that the person doesn't really know you? This could be a relative, a friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend. I've run into this more times than I care to count, especially in recent months.

It feels as if I've been typecast as the counselor, the listener in both my family and amongst my circle(s) of friends. No longer do I have a voice. What I have are the ears to listen to others' voices. That's what's expected. If I speak up at any point, it leaves others in a state of surprise.

Just last night, a person whose known me for 15-20 years, referred to me as an introvert and a homebody. I responded by saying I wasn't sure what I was, an introverted extrovert or an extroverted introvert. I enjoy reading a good book, writing, and having some alone time, but also enjoy going out, traveling, spending time with friends and family. Perhaps his definition of "homebody" for an eligible bachelor is wanting to spend any time at home during the evening hours. I like going out about every other day/night, on average, but just as with most people, I need some time to unwind, relax, and rest up in preparation for more work and time outside of the homestead. I can't be going out every single night after a hard day's work, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. (or later). Also, it's not like they offer much diversity in what we do in the evening hours. It's not a question of what will transpire. It's a question of which bar to attend that evening. That gets old. Call me an introverted homebody, but I need some diversity in my nightly activities. Film, reading, writing, going out to eat, theatre, working out, taking my dogs for walks, museums, sports, bars, etc. As the work routine is fairly regular on a daily basis, it's nice to be able to shake up that routine somewhat in the evening hours.

It gets a tad frustrating, as it seems that not many people truly know me nor are they willing to get to know me. Did my old friend last night truly take me for an introvert because he 100% believes I'm not social in the least bit, reserved, and would much rather stay at home than go out on any given night? Does it deal more with the fact that through the years, he's typecast me as his counselor and therefore, when associating with one another, his voice can be heard much more frequently than mine? A combination of the two? Are other factors involved?

A lot of my friends don't understand how I could move away from the only place I truly know, as I'll be moving to Ohio in the near future. But, if they could truly see things from my perspective, they'd gain a much grander cognizance of why with each passing day, it's appearing to get easier and all that I've known in my past and even in my present are slowly, but surely fading into my past where they belong.