I was going to write about the difficulties of being an only child, and living in a neighborhood far away from most of my friends. I was going to write how those experiences often leave me bitter, but my time alone will benefit me in the long run.
But then that shooting in Connecticut happened, and I got to thinking. I am far, far from alone. I am close with my parents, I am close with the friends that I have, and I have never lost anyone to gun violence, despite the fact that statistics say I should have by now. I do not know loneliness, for I have not experienced irreplaceable loss. Those people will never be able to truly relate to anybody ever again.
I am not a parent who has to close off a room to my house. I am not an ex-brother or an ex-sister. I am not going to have to take away christmas presents from under the tree. Tonight, I will say goodnight to my parents and go to sleep safe and warm. And for that, I am extraordinarily lucky, and cannot classify myself as alone.
Great sentiment man. You opened my eyes to seeing how lonely that existence becomes when you lose someone like that.
ReplyDeleteWith the first paragraph, I can totally relate because that is my situation as well. But all that seems so insignificant compared to people who suffer from true loneliness.
ReplyDeleteSo selfless and simple, and yet so fitting for such a difficult time. This has really thrown some things about our lives in to perspective. I don't think that most of us even have the right to say that we've ever been lonely.
ReplyDeleteThis is a completely different approach to the topic and I completely respect that. You're able to take the positive out of the negative situation of being a single child and I with that I like that you're ultimately able to tie all of your points together into an answer to the question. Great post.
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