Living Longer: Vanishing act — The moment you suddenly discover that you’re invisible

I’M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE who don’t like parties. I am bored with small talk and uninterested in fashion, who’s ghosting whom, who has his eyes set on that girl with the piled-up hair. My MO at such affairs is to hunt down the room with books — someone’s study or the library in a fancier setup — and settle down to read.

The party noises form a pleasant backdrop, and if there’s quiet music, all the better. Occasionally someone peeks in. I can tell from their body language that they’re worried about me — surely this person sitting by herself is desperately lonely.