Chapter 6 Hermits
Prefer Their Own Company
Before we return to our subject,
loneliness (for Christian singles), let’s look at those peculiar
people who thrive on being alone. I call these curmudgeons “Hermits”,
and more power to them if they really prefer being isolated:
“I would rather sit on a
pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”
Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau also mused, “I love to
be alone. I have never found a companion that was so companionable as
solitude.”
A crusty hermit from yesteryear,
Thoreau may never have gotten the recognition and love he wanted so he
decided he didn’t need it. Loners throughout history have retreated
from society as they have experienced disillusionment and hurt, real
or perceived, from people who have not fulfilled the loner’s needs.
Recluses have learned to be
detached from their feelings, to “live inside their heads”; to
fill their waking hours with ideas, dreams, activities, hobbies,
reading, and who knows what else, since they never invite anyone in to
see for themselves! But one advantage hermits have over lonely people
who long for intimate friendships, is the fact that they know how to
fill their day with numerous projects, many unfinished, so they always
have “something to keep themselves busy”, a worthwhile way to
prevent boredom. Recluses are usually pack rats, and have drawers and
boxes stuffed with materials and ideas that await their attention.
Actually, the world is better, for the gifts and zealous work some
reclusive and semi-reclusive souls have brought forth in solitude.
But I digress. Our purpose here
is to bring MORE people into your life, not to retreat from them.
Consider this gem, penned by an unknown author, and sent to me from
Steve Barrett, Christian Singles Editor of christiandatemate.com
“We read, to know that we are
not alone.”
It’s very true and insightful.
When we read books (or even internet Christian dating fodder for
thought, such as this!…But, hey, it’s free, right?) it connects us
with a real human, the author, and reminds us that we are not alone,
on many levels. We share feelings, we see into another’s soul. Our
minds are engaged, identifying with the protagonist, discovering new
insights, and best of all, learning new ways to enrich our lives from
someone who has gone before us, making our path straight and far more
effortless. And strangely enough, unlike reading a book, reading this
online literally joins us in cyberspace with people who are reading it
at the same time. Therefore, none of us is alone at this moment.
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