Solitude

Little do men perceive what solitude is, and how far it extendeth. For a crowd is not company, and faces are but a gallery of pictures, and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love. - Francis Bacon

Odd, the things that make you think. Many say that it would be imposible for someone doing my job to get lonely. It is pretty obvious, isn't it? I spend every day surrounded with undergraduates and others in the field of higher education. Many of them are great people... many of them kind, considerate, and someone concerned with my well being. At least I would like to think so.

Have you ever stood in the middle of a crowd at a concert, or even in the middle of a crowd at a high school football game, or a theater show? Next to you, you are almost sure to find someone else. Sure, they may be there, but why? Are they there because they care about you? Of course not. A crowd is not company. As a matter of fact, a crowd is just that.

Solitude. There is nothing happy about that word. It means being alone. I've come to realize that solitude and being alone do not necessarily need to represent something bad. As I stand in the midst of the crowd, it becomes more clear to me who does care. I begin to realize what is truly important in my life. Sometimes, my realizations frighten me.

It can be lonely out there, even when several smiling faces surround you. However, my lonliness has helped me realize the difference between being alone and having someone there for you. Lonliness can be inspired by us, but can only exist if there is no one else there to help you fight it. Sometimes, we overlook the truth and we don't really understand what it means to be alone. While the crowd does not usually yield friends, I know I am not alone. I've met people who are.