I am very impressed by your computer art, Louise — it gets better and better.

Like you, I can be a loner or a joiner. Social gatherings may or may not attract me. The stories I told, however, were at-work social events, and that is what hurt me so much. On a strictly social level, I’ve never been the belle of the ball, and that’s okay. I can sit home with a book and a cat or dog and be content. But, when a gathering occurs at the office when I am there, it hurts deeply to be ignored and overlooked, especially as hard as I work.

At work, being ignored has a different significance than it does socially — at least, to me. I am at an age that hobnobbing after-hours holds no appeal. Who do I need to impress by attending a meet-and-greet or a cocktail party? But, to be ignored in the office at work is a different scenario. It’s more of a professional slap in the face. More of an ageist comment — you are too old to be part of the fun, too old to enjoy the fun, too unimportant to be recognized.