LonELiLy

Since coming out to work freelance, I have discovered something. And that is how lonely it can get. Without the familiarity of colleagues and peers, work feels lonely. I get through the days on my own, and that feels lonely. Even worse, I can be out where there are lots of people, and I still feel lonely.

It must have been many years ago when someone told me, “You can be alone without being lonely.” Aloneness is a state of being. Loneliness is a state of mind. And perhaps, neither one presupposes the other. But when you are alone and loneliness hits you, that can be debilitating.

When you think about it, isn’t life very much like this? Aren’t we alone in our own life? Only I get to live my life, and only I can be responsible for my own life. We are alone and we are lonely by turns.

For in the end, it is just me, myself, and I.
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