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Erwin and Marilee<\/strong><\/p>\n Erwin was a fellow who stapled three sheets to the wind each evening before going home to his empty house, whereupon entry, the silence was deafening.\u00a0 He’d predicate his homecoming on promises to engage in a quick, non-threatening conversation with himself, nothing too invasive, just a little complementary repartee.\u00a0 If that went well, he’d settle into a longer, more interesting exchange over dinner, then reward himself with a favorite TV show or book before bed.\u00a0 This wasn’t easy for dear Erwin, who had never learned how to enjoy the pleasure of his own company.<\/p>\n Unlike Erwin, Marilee’s nature mimicked her name.\u00a0 She, indeed, went about her life merrily, in and out of the company of her family and friends.\u00a0 She engaged in full, drama-length stage shows expressed in her living room, playing all the characters at once, talking over herself until overtaken by laughs, she lay sprawled on the floor glowing with the pleasure of her own company.<\/p>\n I realize Erwin and Marilee are extreme examples and that you’ll likely fall somewhere in between.\u00a0 And it’s good to fall, especially into your own lap, face up, laughing like there’s no tomorrow, because you never know.\u00a0 So let’s make the best of it.<\/p>\n