A love letter to solitude.
This was written before the corona crisis. I still feel this way but I can’t fault anyone for hating everything about solitude at the moment. So keep it in mind as you read. Loneliness and isolation are horrible. But that’s for another post……
Most of my life I’ve reveled in solitude.
As a teen I remember sitting all alone in the kitchen, before anyone would wake up in the morning, and just enjoy the silence.
As a kid I’d sit in my room, with just the buzzing of my computer and paint until darkness fell and all I had was my night light to keep me company. No social media, no internet. Just MS Paint.
I longed for walks in to the middle of nowhere. 20–30k runs deeper and deeper in to the forest. Just me and music in my headphones.
I’d bring my back pack and explore the area, trekking though mountains, industrial areas and abandoned streets.
As I became a parent, and as tensions in my overall life grew, solitude became even more important.
Silence became a vital elixir for survival. Every early morning on an empty train, became a treat and a chance to scribble and read. To let the world pause.
All those that wander are not lost
My favorite thing was to find abandoned places, shelter rooms, broken down cabins. One way to know if you’re my true friend, is if I’ve taken you to one of those places, extra points if it was in the middle of the night. If I haven’t, I will.
There is something deeply liberating having a world to yourself. To be alone with its secret. To make it your own for a little while.
It doesn’t require much, and where ever in the world you are, who every you are, for a brief second you can have it too.
I long for solitude again, and hope that it continues to be a life long friend.
