The Perfect Song for an Introvert

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I was listening to a playlist recently that included The Drifters' song "Up on the Roof," and it struck me how PERFECT this song is for folks like me: introverts.

Have a listen:



"Up On The Roof," The Drifters (1962)



(Up on the roof)
(Up on the roof)

When this old world starts getting me down
And people are just too much for me to face (Up on the roof)
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space (Up on the roof)

On the roof, it's peaceful as can be
And there, the world below can't bother me
Let me tell you now

When I come home feeling tired and beat
I go up where the air is fresh and sweet (Up on the roof)
I get away from the hustling crowds
And all that rat race noise down in the street (Up on the roof)

On the roof's the only place I know
Where you just have to wish to make it so
Let's go up on the roof (Up on the roof)

At night, the stars put on a show for free
And, darling, you can share it all with me
I keep-a tellin' you

Right smack dab in the middle of town
I found a paradise that's trouble-proof (Up on the roof)
And if this world starts getting you down
There's room enough for two up on the roof (Up on the roof)

Up on the roof (Up on the roof)
Oh, come on, baby (Up on the roof)
Oh, come on, honey (Up on the roof)
Everything is all right (Up on the roof)

Even if you're not an introvert, I bet you have times when you just need to get away from it all. I bet you even have a favorite place of escape.

When I was a kid, during the summer, my favorite place to hide from my siblings was in a tree in my parents' backyard woods, on the border between our property and the neighbor's. It was a huge, old oak with plenty of branches low enough for me to scramble up — and large enough to hold my weight while I'd sit there and think (or read) for as long as I could stay undetected. 

When I was in college and had roommates, my favorite place for solitude was, quite literally, up on the roof of our urban rental home. Conveniently, my walk-in closet had a window that opened out onto a flat part of the roof. I'd lay down a pile of thick towels or blankets over the shingles, and I'd sit there and read and write, careful to shut the closet door behind me as an invisibility cloak.

My living room is a favorite place for solitude. (Photo: Rachel E. Watson)


Now that I'm a post-grad, married adult, my favorite place of solitude varies. Sometimes, I read, write or watch TV shows on Netflix in the living room or in our bedroom. Sometimes, I go for walks in the neighborhood. Once, I drove to the chapel at Calvin College and sat by myself listening to the pianist practice. 

Or, if I need solitude during breaks at work, I use the Muskegon White Pine Trail that cuts through our office complex.

What about you?


 Does solitude appeal to you? What are some of your favorite getaway places? Have you ever sat "Up on the Roof"? I'd love to hear your stories.


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