Aww, I'm sorry to hear that, Stephen. That kind of ending can be so painful and frustrating because you feel like you should have been able to fix it, to keep the situation from derailing, to somehow sail through those increasingly narrow straits. And then you have to face it that you can't. And then there is nothing left but to get used to it, crawl up on the beaches, and walk on.
Stephen Bradford Long drops gorgeous timeless wisdom written from the depths of his soul, that touches the soul of the reader to the core. And then ends it with: "But that’s just me. What do you think?” I find this hilarious and so humanizing.
This is such a beautiful piece, and so necessary. I too have found myself not alone, exactly, but lonely still. Needing the fellowship of those like me, and not finding it.
As Beckett says, in Endgame : "You're on Earth! There's no cure for that."
I have had doubts about not communicating with siblings,
second guessing my decision years ago to remain separate. I must accept that it is possible I will not see them again. There is nothing between us to rebuild, and I don't find forgiveness easy to do. They are morally wrong, and they did not give us what was ours. Aside from the personal aspects, the political system they support is depraved.
Since childhood I have always had trouble making friends. I'm not sure why. I don't seem to share the same interests as many people do.
I was also very dependent. I have never had a job that covered all my bills. There has always been an additional source of income. This dependency compromised my life in many ways.
I learned to live on less. There was freedom in that.
In the past, if I could have shared one thing with young ones it would have been to prioritize their financial independence. But now, at the end of things, that is almost impossible for them to do.
The only advice I have for now is to learn something useful that will help the people around them. Or find a way to give back to the earth. Hopefully, if one is needed, they will be cared for. 💚
In a breakup letter to her beau, my mother wrote, "It would be far better to be alone than lonely."
Since then, I've held this distinction, and your essay surfaced this memory. Firstly, thank you for that pleasant nostalgia.
It also made me wonder about the distinction. Are loneliness and aloneness the same?
Yes, I love that.
For me, loneliness and being alone is determined by how we frame it.
Right. I suppose this is a kind of universal truth. How we frame anything is what determines how we relate to it.
Aww, I'm sorry to hear that, Stephen. That kind of ending can be so painful and frustrating because you feel like you should have been able to fix it, to keep the situation from derailing, to somehow sail through those increasingly narrow straits. And then you have to face it that you can't. And then there is nothing left but to get used to it, crawl up on the beaches, and walk on.
That’s exactly it. And thank you 🙏
❤️
Stephen Bradford Long drops gorgeous timeless wisdom written from the depths of his soul, that touches the soul of the reader to the core. And then ends it with: "But that’s just me. What do you think?” I find this hilarious and so humanizing.
That’s so kind of you to say, thank you 🙏
This is such a beautiful piece, and so necessary. I too have found myself not alone, exactly, but lonely still. Needing the fellowship of those like me, and not finding it.
As Beckett says, in Endgame : "You're on Earth! There's no cure for that."
I am used to being alone.
But, I needed to read your writing.
I have had doubts about not communicating with siblings,
second guessing my decision years ago to remain separate. I must accept that it is possible I will not see them again. There is nothing between us to rebuild, and I don't find forgiveness easy to do. They are morally wrong, and they did not give us what was ours. Aside from the personal aspects, the political system they support is depraved.
Since childhood I have always had trouble making friends. I'm not sure why. I don't seem to share the same interests as many people do.
I was also very dependent. I have never had a job that covered all my bills. There has always been an additional source of income. This dependency compromised my life in many ways.
I learned to live on less. There was freedom in that.
In the past, if I could have shared one thing with young ones it would have been to prioritize their financial independence. But now, at the end of things, that is almost impossible for them to do.
The only advice I have for now is to learn something useful that will help the people around them. Or find a way to give back to the earth. Hopefully, if one is needed, they will be cared for. 💚
Loved this. OCD. Loneliness. Acceptance. Uncertainty.