Living in a dorm was sometimes a virtual hell for me. I lived in a single room with two others, shared a bathroom with 35 girls, sat through classes filled with students, ate in the dining center with hundreds of kids at a time, rode the bus to work, and my job was solely interaction with customers. Time by myself was an extremely rare entity. On some days, the only time I was alone was when I would find an empty cubicle in the library where I could put on some music and pretend there weren’t people sitting on the other side of the little wall. I never realized how much I loved being alone until that simple pleasure was taken away from me.
It’s not that I don’t like being around people, I think of myself as pretty sociable and I really do enjoy that aspect of my life. I spend a lot of time with friends, family, and strangers. I make the best memories alongside those people. I love going to parties and having big gatherings, and I love movie nights with two or three others as well.
I feel that at times, even when I am alone, I’m with people because in today’s society constant communication is the norm. Even when we’re physically alone, we’re not. Technology and social media encourages us to be connected with others at all times, and doesn’t it get exhausting sometimes? Don’t you ever just want a break from that pressure?
There is something to be said about a little time to yourself. Time to think, reflect on your own emotions, take in the day, and separate yourself from the world and all the troubles that occur within it. Sometimes I lie in my bed at 10:00 p.m. and don’t go to sleep until 1:00 a.m., or it takes me an hour to get home from somewhere three miles away because I enjoy the time alone in the car that much. I enjoy going to the grocery store alone or getting my nails done solo simply because a little peace, without the pressure to communicate, gives me time to figure myself out. With that comes a much more positive outlook, and that’s something people really notice. Once you reach the point where you’re comfortable enough with yourself to be alone and content with it, that’s when you’re truly happy.
I never want to offend anyone by choosing to be alone rather than in his or her company, but I think I’ve succeeded in that multiple times. I really believe that until you have reached that independence in yourself it’s hard to understand why someone would choose to be alone over the company of others. Be patient with those who survive off of time alone; it will make your time with them even more enjoyable.
