The Practice of Solitude

The Practice of Solitude

by Paul Kowalewski

My wife is away at a conference, and so I will be home alone for the next few days. It all gives me a chance to reflect on being alone, being lonely, and the difference between the two.

I know many people who go into a panic at the prospect of being alone. If they come home and the house is empty, the very first thing they do is turn on the TV set, put on some music, or more likely, rush to the computer to go online – connecting with Facebook friends, “twittering” and “googling.”

They go to their phones, calls and texts – doing almost anything they can to get connected, anything to fill up the empty space of being alone.

The thing is that all this supposed connection can still leave a person feeling pretty lonely. In fact, you can even be in the presence of other people – in a home or an office or a school or a restaurant, even in a church full of people, and you can still feel pretty darn lonely.  READ MORE

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