A place where I can gently touch the 'miniature garden of the heart.' The reason why I feel that only note is my 'home.'

It's not that I'm bad at talking to people. I can talk normally with people I'm close to.

It's just that as I've gotten older, I've noticed more and more that building a relationship with someone new from scratch has become a hassle. I've been realizing that about myself a lot lately.

Why does socializing become such a hassle as you get older?

It's not that I've come to dislike people. It's not that I'm afraid of them, either.

It's just that throughout my life, while I've connected with many new people, I've also seen just as many relationships fade away.

So, even when I meet someone new, the thought that 'we'll probably drift apart someday anyway' inevitably comes first. Building a relationship from scratch takes a lot of energy as it is.When you add the resignation that 'it will end anyway,' that first step becomes heavy.—I think that is the true nature of my 'hassle'.

But note is different. By the time I open an article, I already know what kind of person they are to some extent, so the interaction begins with that understanding.Even before meeting them, I can see their 'miniature garden of the heart.'—That's the feeling I get.

I don't have to waste energy trying to figure them out. Plus, I can choose to interact only with people I want to connect with. For me, that is something I'm truly grateful for.

A comment is like being gently invited into each other's 'miniature gardens.'

The moments I feel I've 'connected deeply' the most are when I receive a comment, and when I leave one.

I think that's probably because we have both already bared our most vulnerable selves through our writing. That's whya single exchange of comments carries a warmth different from small talk..

It feels like being gently invited into someone's miniature garden, rather than barging in with muddy shoes. And someone else gently visits my own garden, too.

Without having to drain so much energy, the distance between our hearts closes naturally.I've finally realized recently that this back-and-forth is what 'connecting deeply' means to me.

That's why I think note is the most comfortable place for me.

Socializing is a hassle. But, in truth, I really do want to connect. I've carried both of those feelings for a long time.

note is a place that lets me be myself, holding both of those feelings, without judging me. I don't have to force myself to be social. I can stay the way I am, finding things a hassle.Even so, I can still properly connect with the people I want to connect with.

That's why I think I feel like this place is my 'home.' I can relax my shoulders and gently visit someone else's miniature garden again.

—Is there a place that feels like 'home' to you? If you'd like, please let me know in the comments. I always welcome comments.

If you felt like you could 'relate' to any part of this article,

you might also be someone who has been trying too hard to meet the expectations of those around you without even realizing it. I was like that for a long time myself.

I have compiled the story of how I came to think, 'I don't have to live up to other people's expectations anymore,' into a book.

I wrote this hoping that after you finish reading it, you might feel a little less tense and think, 'Maybe it's okay to just be myself.'