Can You Just...Not...Speak?

Something I don't understand about certain people is the need to be around people all the time. Call me an anti-social loner but I really like my quiet time. Or at least sit around in comfortable silence with someone. I am not criticizing social people. Being social is great. I'm a fan of stringing together sentences and painting various cities and towns red (still thinking of a tag name). I think being social and talkative is equally as important. If you're too quiet, there is the possibility that you might be mute or have serious social anxiety issues in which case I suggest seeking professional help. I like small talk as much as the next person but I fairly certain there is a reason they don't call it big talk. Language geeks, what do they know, right?

What I want to know is: Is there a polite way to tell someone you don't want to see them for a week or two because you feel they are being overbearing? I don't want people to feel like they have to ask me how my dinner was (unless I'm doing something crazy exciting for dinner like eating a Bengal tiger or eating and sky diving at the same time). It's okay, dinner was dinner. Unless I die tomorrow, there will be more in my future and when those come to pass, it's still very unlikely that I will tell you what happens during those.

This is why I really enjoy Kristy's (flatmate for those of you who cannot keep up with my endlessly fascinating life) company. She reminds me of a lot of my closer friends back home. We are perfectly fine sitting together and not talking. We'll be reading, working, writing, whatever but it's never weird.

I think it's important for people to be alone and reflect. It makes your personality more 3D. If you're talking all the time, you're not doing much thinking.

On a lighter note, here's something funny:

Sidenote: This post excludes rants. Rants are welcome as long as I say they're welcome.