--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Instead, I quietly excused myself and…" description: "\"Instead, I quietly excused myself and went to the bar, to commune with spirits I know how to relate to.\" — Mary Roach" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/mary-roach-635_bars_instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-wen_2189240.png" --- # Instead, I quietly excused myself and went to the bar, to… ![“Instead, I quietly excused myself and went to the bar, to commune with spirits I know how to relate to.” quote by Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/mary-roach-635_bars_instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-wen_2189240.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/mary-roach-635_bars_instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-wen_2189240.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/mary-roach-635_bars_instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-wen_2189240.png) > “Instead, I quietly excused myself and went to the bar, to commune with spirits I know how to relate to.” [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator avoids a social setting, preferring a bar where familiar drinks provide comfort and connection. **In simple terms:** Choosing a familiar place to unwind when social pressure feels uncomfortable. Key Takeaway Seek comfort in known environments. Themes social anxiety comfort seeking self‑care Mood reflective introspective Type personal situational When to use this quote - after work - loneliness - stress relief - personal reflection Key Concepts coping mechanisms social avoidance Questions to Reflect On - What environments help you recharge? - How do you balance solitude and social life? A Different Perspective May limit deeper connections with others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communes/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want the public perceiving us as the taunting, provocative ghost hunters. We do that only to the bad spirits who we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zak-bagans/i-don-t-want-the-public-perceiving-us-as-the-taunting-provocative/) [Zak Bagans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zak-bagans/) > [“It seemed that every city and town they'd passed through on the way to Herath venerated different gods and spirits. How to know which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-hutson/it-seemed-that-every-city-and-town-they-d-passed-through-on-the-way/) [Alec Hutson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-hutson/) > [“If you have come to the point you are ready to consult spirits to know more about your life, there is nothing under the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-you-have-come-to-the-point-you-are-ready-to-consult-spirits-to/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Heav'n from all creatures hides the book of fate, All but the page prescribed, their present state: From brutes what men, from men what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/heav-n-from-all-creatures-hides-the-book-of-fate-all-but-the-page-2/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [“How was Jose when you went to the bar...(Ana) He was fine. (Christian) Palm-twitchingly mad. Especially now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james/how-was-jose-when-you-went-to-the-bar-ana-he-was-fine-christian-palm/) [E.L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james/) > [“He went to the bar and stood there a while. But he was in the way of people getting their drinks. He moved to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-banks/he-went-to-the-bar-and-stood-there-a-while-but-he-was-in-the-way-of/) [Melissa Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-banks/) > [“V? Answer the question or so help me God I'll beat it out of you." "I just know how to find him." "What are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/v-answer-the-question-or-so-help-me-god-i-ll-beat-it-out-of-you-i/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“When he went into that bar and saw Tony there with somebody, his head close to a handsome blond one, his hand on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaje-harper/when-he-went-into-that-bar-and-saw-tony-there-with-somebody-his-head/) [Kaje Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaje-harper/) > [Once I went into a bar they said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bieber/once-i-went-into-a-bar-they-said/) [Justin Bieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bieber/) > [...went to a bar for a few drinks. The bartender asked what I wanted. "Surprise me", I said. So he showed me a naked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/went-to-a-bar-for-a-few-drinks-the-bartender-asked-what-i-wanted/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [There was a year straight where every weekend, I went to at least one bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah, and we would all go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/there-was-a-year-straight-where-every-weekend-i-went-to-at-least-one/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [They all went into the bar business. Which was a mistake, because they began to sip at the merchandise and it set them back,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/they-all-went-into-the-bar-business-which-was-a-mistake-because-they/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [I am very much out of my element here. There are moments, listening to the conversations going on around me, when I feel I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/i-am-very-much-out-of-my-element-here-there-are-moments-listening-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [It is a most wonderful comfort to sit alone beneath a lamp, book spread before you, and commune with someone from the past whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshida-kenk/it-is-a-most-wonderful-comfort-to-sit-alone-beneath-a-lamp-book/) [Yoshida Kenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoshida-kenk/) > [Money should not be in the hands of individuals; otherwise it will create this problem of being burdened with guilt. And money can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/money-should-not-be-in-the-hands-of-individuals-otherwise-it-will/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) ## More by Mary Roach > [“Rawson points out that although snakes can’t taste, they have a primitive sense of smell. They’ll extend their tongue to gather volatile molecules and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/rawson-points-out-that-although-snakes-can-t-taste-they-have-a/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“As the number of Inuit who hunt has dwindled, so has the consumption of organs (and other anatomy not available for purchase at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/as-the-number-of-inuit-who-hunt-has-dwindled-so-has-the-consumption/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [For the most part, if somebody approaches me and says, 'I'd like to interview you,' who am I to say no, when I spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/for-the-most-part-if-somebody-approaches-me-and-says-i-d-like-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [To me, death is dark, pain, grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/to-me-death-is-dark-pain-grief/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“If you look at survivable crashes, it’s rare that even half the emergency exits open,” says Shanahan. “Plus, there’s a lot of panic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/if-you-look-at-survivable-crashes-it-s-rare-that-even-half-the/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“…he was doing a breath hydrogen test. If you know the amount of hydrogen someone is exhaling orally, it's a simple matter to extrapolate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/he-was-doing-a-breath-hydrogen-test-if-you-know-the-amount-of/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“Viagra isn't the only drug being prescribed off-label for women with arousal problems. Los Angeles urologist Jennifer Berman told me some doctors are prescribing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/viagra-isn-t-the-only-drug-being-prescribed-off-label-for-women-with/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Sharing a room with a cadaver is only mildly different from being in a room alone. They are the same sort of company as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/sharing-a-room-with-a-cadaver-is-only-mildly-different-from-being-in/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Every now and then, someone will tell me that one of my books has made them laugh out loud. I never believe them because:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/every-now-and-then-someone-will-tell-me-that-one-of-my-books-has-made/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“panel applicants at the initial screening were asked not only to describe the cat foods but also to rate them according to how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/panel-applicants-at-the-initial-screening-were-asked-not-only-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“\* Kissing is a less aggressive form of bacterial transplant. Studies of three different gingivitis-causing bacteria have documented migration from spouse to spouse. Periodontically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/kissing-is-a-less-aggressive-form-of-bacterial-transplant-studies-of/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“Nirlungayuk reached a similar conclusion. I tracked him down, seventeen years later, and asked him what the outcome of his country-foods campaign had been.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/nirlungayuk-reached-a-similar-conclusion-i-tracked-him-down-seventeen/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Astronauts are like these mythic legends, but really, they are just regular people, people who wear chinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/astronauts-are-like-these-mythic-legends-but-really-they-are-just/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“Olive trees grow in the same climate and soil conditions as grapes. The olive oil people have been up in Napa Valley all along,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/olive-trees-grow-in-the-same-climate-and-soil-conditions-as-grapes/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“A patient on the way to surgery travels at twice the speed of a patient on the way to the morgue. Gurneys that ferry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/a-patient-on-the-way-to-surgery-travels-at-twice-the-speed-of-a/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) [Explore all 435 Mary Roach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) ## More Bars quotes > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [Your thief looks Exactly like the rest, or rather better; 'Tis only at the bar, and in the dungeon, That wise men know your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/your-thief-looks-exactly-like-the-rest-or-rather-better-tis-only-at/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [While traveling, I love granola bars, trail mix nuts, dry cereal and fruit for on-the-go snacks. I also try and start the day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-rampone/while-traveling-i-love-granola-bars-trail-mix-nuts-dry-cereal-and/) [Christie Rampone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-rampone/) > [3 people get stranded on a remote Island A Banker, a Daily Mail reader & an Asylum seeker All they have to eat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-brookmyre/3-people-get-stranded-on-a-remote-island-a-banker-a-daily-mail-reader/) [Christopher Brookmyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-brookmyre/) > [Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house unless they have a well-stocked bar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/thou-shalt-not-covet-thy-neighbor-s-house-unless-they-have-a-well/) [W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/) > [Meanwhile after failing the bar twice, I knew some people in New York and moved here in August '71.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-quine/meanwhile-after-failing-the-bar-twice-i-knew-some-people-in-new-york/) [Robert Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-quine/) > [If you look at coffee, tea, food and juice, we think there are inherent opportunities. If you look at health bars or grab-and-go products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/if-you-look-at-coffee-tea-food-and-juice-we-think-there-are-inherent/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I bet a guy at a bar 50 bucks that I was more dysfunctional than he was. He raped me. So I tipped him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-a-guy-at-a-bar-50-bucks-that-i-was-more-dysfunctional-than-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I closed my own jazz bar so I could be a man who can write novels as I like. I was pleased about that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-closed-my-own-jazz-bar-so-i-could-be-a-man-who-can-write-novels-as/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [My parents were Orthodox Jews but not very regular Orthodox Jews. I was bar mitzvahed and all that. But God was hardly ever mentioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-parents-were-orthodox-jews-but-not-very-regular-orthodox-jews-i/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [I know a lot about Canadian politics. I lived in Canadian bars for six years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/i-know-a-lot-about-canadian-politics-i-lived-in-canadian-bars-for-six/) [Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/) > [History is the heavy traffic that prevents us from crossing the road. We're not especially interested in what it consists of. We wait, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/history-is-the-heavy-traffic-that-prevents-us-from-crossing-the-road/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) Browse all 1,768 Bars quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Instead, I quietly excused myself and went to the bar, to commune with spirits I know how to relate to.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Roach" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-went-to-the-bar-to-commune-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bars" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-went-to-the-bar-to-commune-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/mary-roach-635_bars_instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-wen_2189240.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/mary-roach-635_bars_instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-wen_2189240.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/mary-roach-635_bars_instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-wen_2189240.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Instead, I quietly excused myself and went to the bar, to commune with spirits I know how to relate to.” — Mary Roach", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mary Roach", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Instead, I quietly excused myself and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-went-to-the-bar-to-commune-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/instead-i-quietly-excused-myself-and-went-to-the-bar-to-commune-with/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```