Being 40: Going It Alone

Henry David Thoreau talked about how much he loved to be alone and Ann Landers once said that it's better to be alone than to wish you were...

I can tell you firsthand, after living in my new house for only a little more than a week. That, while I am good at being alone and have often preferred it to getting hurt, I was not made to be alone. Because I am keenly aware of this, I do my best to stay connected and involved in as many groups as possible. I keep my social schedule pretty packed too. So,  I am rarely alone.

That said there is a big difference between being alone and feeling lonely. People talk about the sensation of feeling intensely lonely even when surrounded by people. I am very familiar with this. Right now, I find myself a member of three very distinct families, I have a work group and various cliques of friends but I feel profoundly lonely. And I feel incredibly alone. I don't think there's a soul out there who can relate to exactly to this phase of my life.

But man... it would be nice! Even just for a day... To not feel like I'm just going it alone.