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Some people are the life and soul of the party. In a crowded room, they are the centre of attention. The world seems to revolve around them.

Me? I’m the type who fades into the wall, off on the far periphery. As a host, I’m more likely to serve my guests than engage in small talk.

That probably explains why I’ve never been one to follow crowds: because I’ve never been part of them.

This is not a criticism of crowds or those who revel in them. It’s a criticism of me, fabled social recluse.

It probably explains why I have worked broadly alone for over a decade, as a one-man team, working from home.

I’m productive that way, enjoying small virtual meetings with my customers. It certainly explains why I have only a small group of friends, shunning large gatherings.

It probably also explains why I find myself so oblivious to whatever it is that exercises the masses on social media, and why I refuse to participate in group-think.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with a crowd. Crowds are the norm, and I am an aberration.

I don’t think I chose to occupy this territory. Not initially, anyway. In my youth, I hated the loneliness of it, my social awkwardness seemingly imposed on me from beyond myself.

But in the years since then, I’ve come to reconcile myself to what and how I am. It’s given me a different take on life, making me more introspective and reflective.

In life, I have been much misunderstood, but I’ve also misunderstood much myself. I now know I have traits linked to my chromodiversity, upbringing, and natural disposition, which have often put me at odds with others.

Over the years, I have chosen to cope with this by avoidance, withdrawing from social spaces. If I am to socialise, it will be with close friends, in private settings. Rarely will I be found in a crowd.

Sometimes, I envy the socialites with their multitude of friends, endowing them with praise, celebrating their great successes, showering them with adulation. But I realise now that I was set on a different path for a reason.

The world needs its nonconformists too. It needs those with different perspectives, who look at issues from a different angle and identify alternative solutions. It needs those who aren’t afraid to speak their mind, lest the crowd shout them down.