This past weekend, Jen and I went up to Asheville, NC for a time to ourselves. The agenda: being there. We soaked in the time together, and the time alone. We found this great little coffee shop called the Black Bear Cafe (actually, this was in Hendersonville) and it was everything that I love about coffee shops. Young and old, Dems and Repubs, men and women all conversing about life. There was only one person in the entire shop who was glued to their computer. Everyone else showed a great deal of interest in each other’s lives; I know I learned a great deal just listening in.
I also rediscovered my need for solidute. I seldom find myself alone. Solidute is one of those practices that if left unscheduled, can go months and months without ever seeming to pop-up in my life. For someone who is as relational as I am, for someone who wants more than anything else to live in a commune, for someone who has a hard time being alone, I miss my solitude.
I was able to write, read a lot, pray some, and meditate on my life and the past few years. I believe that I got more clarity in those few hours than I have in months of cluttered thinking. I have a lot more meditating to do; I haven’t quite determined how to move forward.
Inertia. Growth. Movement (not movING) is lacking.
I know we were created for relationships, but sometime the only way to shut the world up (especially all of the “I approve this message” commercials) is to be alone.
