A glowing review of “Sorry I’m late - I didn’t want to come: One introvert’s year of saying yes.” by Jessica Pan

I am neither extremely introverted nor extroverted. However, I am an extremely big fan of Jessica Pan’s book, “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come” (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2019).

Jessica sets the stage for the book well, building mystery in the first pages describing her dressed in black, sweating in a sauna, yelling at the attendant. She goes on to describe how her shyness led her to withdraw so much that she was probably quite depressed and was certainly severely lonely, despite having a solid marriage.

The book is very funny and had me laughing out loud - a lot. My wife kept looking at me to figure out what was so funny. I found the book right up there with those by David Sedaris and Dave Barry. In setting the stage, she describes being annoyed at her friend’s response to wondering if she has ADD. The friend says I think you may be depressed and lonely. Jessica, goes back to look at the email she sent to her friend and finds her last sign-off to be, “I look forward to nothing.”

I think Jessica does a great job of describing her journey and her efforts to act more like an extrovert. She pushes herself hard, performing at a Moth storytelling event, signing up for an improv comedy class, and even performing a few sets of stand-up comedy. She details her efforts at friend-dating and the lengths she goes to to meet potential friends in London.

I relate to this kind of self-change effort. I would love to both accomplish as much as Jessica did in this regard and to write about it in the highly compelling and comedic way she did.

You may not think this genre of writing is your cup of tea. However, if you have ever tried to make changes in yourself or your life, please consider giving it a shot. I hope you will learn a lot and love taking the ride with Jessica as much as I did.

Some of my Sayings

“If it is healthy, you will get used to it.” — Exposure therapy, in a nutshell.

“Shrink the problem.” — Fight being overwhelmed by breaking things down.

“Trick yourself into it.” — Inertia is a common enemy; just make contact.

“Chip, chip, chip.” — Relentlessly come back to try again.

Getting back to writing

I am ready to return to writing! I look forward to sharing some updated thoughts about finding a meaningful career, navigating the phases of life, improving your mental health, and more.