Solitude

Albert Einstein once said "Solitude is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature." And I could not agree with this statement more than a fat kid could agree to an all expense paid trip to Krispy Kreme for their birthday. I feel as if I can really relate to this quote, and as if these expressed stages of maturity are one hundred percent accurate. When I was younger, I hated being alone; the feeling of being lonely, not always having friends around, not having a boyfriend, was the worst of all feelings. I felt as if in order to be happy I needed to surround myself with the presence of other individuals. It's like most social cliques in high-school. People migrate in big packs, sit at a lunch table made for 5 with an actual amount of 14 kids, and go to the bathroom in groups. You don't want to be "that kid". You don't want to be a loner. And maybe this is exactly why people say it takes years to truly discover and become happy with yourself. I recently (as in over the past year and a half up til this point) have greatly started to appreciate solitude & my alone time. Don't get me wrong, I love being social, having a good time, being with my dearest friends and such, but being alone is so calming. It's the one time you can sit there and think about what you want, and yourself without feeling selfish. You don't need to worry about everyone else and what they are discussing and you can focus on other things that you can't express in front of others. It's not that I don't care about discussions that I have with my peers it's just nice to be able to clear my head. Just the other night when my friends went out, I decided to stay in, then go for a long walk. It gave me time to think, and even not to think, just to observe things you don't observe when with others. I observed the sky for the first time in ages. I love the night sky, and observing it alone, gave me a greater appreciation for it. I also observed this couple walking in front of me for a while. They seemed young (mid-twenties) and they seemed to be at the beginning stages of their relationship where you are completely infatuated with one another. They held hands while walking, an occasional giggle, side glance and timid smile with a side order of a rosie-pink-cheeked-blush. It was young love at its best, something I also learned to greatly appreciate. Being alone gives you the time to really sit and apprecaite things in life that you can't appreciate when your'e in a large crowd. It really gives you time to find what makes you happy. I know this probably all sounds so corny and maybe even cliche. I just thought I'd put all this out there to see if anyone feels the same... =]


Serene & Smiling
-Sammi Sunshine-