It turns out that I get to spend a day and a half completely alone. I didn't plan it this way. I wanted to spend the time not being alone. I had plans. A mild summer cold conspired to give me time to myself. Granted I'm spending the time recuperating and feeling better before the work week starts but it's still time I'm spending alone. Not that I mind being alone.
Being alone is not a bother for me. It never has been a bother for me. I can keep myself occupied endlessly. I enjoy long walks even without company or an mp3 player. Being sent to my room as a kid was no punishment. Where else would I want to end up but surrounded by my stuff? Books, computers, pen and paper... what's not to like?
It seems to me that many people don't like to be alone. They don't know how to live with only themselves. They always have to be with someone. They always have to be talking. It doesn't matter what they talk about but they have to be talking to someone at all times. When I commute on the bus you can spot these people easily. They're the ones who use their cellphones constantly for the most inane conversations.
What ever happened to silence and being alone?
Two recent posts on the 'net got me thinking about being alone. And how difficult it seems to be for some people. The first is How to Talk a Walk by Vankatesh Rao. The second is a poem called How To Be Alone (video) by Tanya Davis.
If you're not comfortable being by yourself or just not sure how to do it without going crazy then maybe, just maybe, Tanya and Vankatesh can help.
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