For the second night in a row, I'm spending the evening in my room after hanging out briefly with the flatmates in the living room. Alone again. They did invite me out, but I am genuinely tired and would probably pass out after the first couple of drinks.

I can't remember who it was whom said there was a difference between being alone and feeling alone. (Or something like that.) Being an anti-social (and very shy) only kid, I didn't mind being alone most of the time, with a good book or an iPod to keep me company. But now that I'm in an environment where I really should enjoy the benefits of socialising and company, I often become the wallflower. Not even that. The flower painted on the wall. At the same time, I get antsy about turning up to events alone and usually try and find someone to go with me.

Which leads to an additional question: Have I spent so much time (we're talking from the age I learned to talk to about mid-puberty when I started going out without the parents) learning how to interact with those older than I am (we're talking about 10+ years) that I never fully worked out how to interact with those of my own age?

I'll work that out later. In the meantime, I'll continue to sit here and be serenaded by the dulcet tones of Brian Stokes Mitchell.