It takes all kinds of people to make life interesting. Some are outgoing and thrive with social interaction. Others live more quietly, sharing their rich inner self with a select few. It can be interesting to watch these personalities in a group setting. For a particular subset of introverts, such as myself, merely being present is enough to feel included. There is a word that attempts to describe this lovely feeling: midding.
Meaning: This definition is taken from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, a collection of invented words written by John Koenig: “Midding — feeling the tranquil pleasure of being near a gathering but not quite in it—hovering on the perimeter of a campfire, chatting outside a party while others dance inside, resting your head in the backseat of a car listening to your friends chatting up front—feeling blissfully invisible yet still fully included, safe in the knowledge that everyone is together and everyone is okay, with all the thrill of being there without the burden of having to be.”
Origin: Invented by John Koenig, date unknown. It is rather unfortunately inspired by the Middle English word midden, which was a refuse heap near a house.