Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Spring clouds


I'm often asked if I ever get lonely out here in the middle of nowhere –
by you, by my family, by just about every person who has come to visit the 7MSN.
"Nope. Never. Not once," I say, which usually evokes a raised eyebrow
and the follow-up question, "Why not?" "Because. I just don't." 
I'm not an introspective, deep-thinking soul searcher who needs to understand the why of things.

But then I read this explanation by Jon Katz, and I think he nailed it:
People often confuse loneliness with aloneness... Loneliness is a lacking,
a feeling that something important is missing, a pain or sadness,
a need, an incompleteness or an absence.
Aloneness is the opposite. It is the embodiment of presence, fullness, of being alive,
of the joy of being. You are complete. You are whole, you are enough.

  I may have to embroider that on a pillow.




28 comments:

  1. wow that is a terrific quote. And a beautiful sky too.

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  2. Great quote. And you do have lots of buddies with you all the time, they just don't happen to be human.

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  3. It's a road less travelled so we watch to learn. And laugh. Aunt Jean

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  4. nice realization, indeed! I never feel lonely either. Yes for the embroidering. If you need help, you can ask me

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    1. My only comment would be: It's going to have to be a big pillow!

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  5. So true and if you were ever lonely all you have to do is go on FB or other social media and be connected in an instant. Besides you have all your animals and that would help me not be lonely. My biggest problem would be if something broke but you are so handy that you can take care of it. I so admire you and love your blog. Betsy

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  6. Northern AB gal4/7/15, 6:59 AM

    Read Jon Katz as well, love this quote. Using your skills, you should make a poster with this quote superimposed over one of your lovely photos, and display it proudly. Maybe include it in your next calendar....

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  7. Yup, I learned how to be alone and not be lonely a long time ago ... even when I was married 'cause he was gone so much! I've been on my own since 1990 and doing just fine ... we really learn how to fend for ourselves!

    Hugs from Marcia in CO

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  8. That's a lot of stitches. Great quote though and we have seen evidence of persistence with projects. :)

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  9. Right on sister!!

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  10. Love this. Funny thing is that I often feel lonely around people (not my friends, though)!

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  11. Perfectly stated. And while every now and again, it would be nice to have someone around to hold the other end of the board, I'm ever so happy when the board is up and they leave my space and I can revel in my aloneness. You may get several pillows for the statement above.

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  12. How true! I didn't learn this until I was married in my 40s. The husband was always physically present, but I'd never been so alone in my life. I live by myself now (with 2 cats, 2 horses, 200 chickens) and am never lonely.

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  13. I am at my best in those moments when I am satisfied with being. Watching water flow through my stream, hearing my animals munching. No need to have a plan or a goal. Feeling the rhythm of the trees blowing in the wind. You, by the way, are not alone. You just can't touch us. You also get to choose when we are there. That is nice.

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  14. I'm gonna have it printed on some cards and hand it out to everybody who asks me .... and, they always do...

    I'm just not the type of person who wants to be constantly on the go or visiting or having people over to visit... I love my solitude ... I actually love my own company .... and it seems most people just don't get it. So, they ask...........

    They also ask if I get bored ....hahhahha..not in my vocabulary... even if you can only think .. how can a person be bored? .... just never happens.
    There is more to do in every day than I would ever have hours for ... or some days I do not much of anything and enjoy the sun, the garden, the snow shovelling or lawn mowing or whatever I decide to do on the day...... I guess I just love life.... maybe more people need to learn to enjoy the little things.

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  15. That's a great explanation! I thrive on alone time and lots of people think I am weird for that. Although without my dogs, alone time would not be nearly as fulfilling!

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  16. My friends and family asked me the exact same thing when I ranch-sat for you. I obviously don't live out there full time, but in the few days that I was there by myself I never once felt lonely.
    One of the things I've tried very hard to teach my kids is that being alone is NOT a bad thing. Quiet is NOT a bad thing.

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  17. That will be going in my daily journal. Thanks.

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  18. BumbleVee--"Only boring people get bored" Quote by Ruth Burke heard on Mad Men

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  19. Aloneness time was something I understood and craved from a very young age - something my parents and siblings could never even begin to comprehend for many years. It's not an easy concept for some people to grasp. It's part of following one's own path. I don't get bored - life and entertainment is all around us in the great outdoors. Love the pillow idea!

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  20. I never feel alone with my animals beside me. I should think I sometimes might if I didn't have them.

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  21. Carson, as an only child, I was ALONE, but I wasn't LONELY. Even now, I love my "alone" time. Believe me, after a day with 25 or 30 8 year olds, I appreciate my ALONE time. Besides, when I'm with my dog, or my cats, or my horses, I'm not alone.
    Cheryl Ann

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  22. I love that! I've spent a great deal of my life alone, and I'm very seldom lonely. I wasn't an only child, but my siblings were long gone by the time I have any memory. And...I've always had my animals, loved being outside, riding, reading books and a very active imagination. I totally agree. Loneliness vs. Aloneness. I think you should make it into a plaque to show those who ask.

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  23. Enjoy embroidering a body pillow *grins* as for me, I am hand-lettering it onto a watercolored journal page right now as we speak... err... type. That quote needs to be preserved for me, it's so perfect. I may borrow BumbleVee's idea as well. Cheers!

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  24. My impression: you are HAPPY & healthy. You understand your pets/friends so well, you have a great life.

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