“Solitude is a breeding ground for idiosyncrasy, and I relish that about it, the way it liberates whim.”
– Caroline Knapp
Everyone has a unique relationship with solitude. Some require it. Some avoid it. Some covet it. Solitude, for me, is where I reconnect with my center.
I wonder, though, what exactly constitutes solitude these days. The famous solitaries of the past (Dickinson & Thoreau & Merton come to mind) weren’t expected to have smart phones within arm’s length at all times. Am I really inhabiting solitude when emails, texts, and Facebook friends have open access to my mind space? Seeking real solitude in modern life requires an awareness of all the people we “let in”, whether or not we are physically alone.
How peopled is your solitude these days?
