Yesterday, a woman was lamenting to me that she had gotten Taco Bell on their shirt. It seems that she had eaten in their car and the bottom of their shell was broken. I asked if she had been in a hurry. She said that she hadn't been but that she always ate in her car and read. I laughed a bit and said, "You could take your book into Taco Bell." Honestly, this thought horrified her. She said, "I couldn't eat in a restaurant alone!"
Me: "Spoken like someone who isn't single!"
Welcome to my world.
Honestly, I'm not particularly brave about the alone thing. Sometimes it does keep me from doing things I might enjoy -- particularly things where I know everyone will be paired with a significant other. But even then, sometimes I have to try and go it alone. If I wasn't willing to ever do things alone, I wouldn't ever do anything! Seriously.
This is not meant to be a poor me post. However, I do have a question. If you are married, please put aside the thought that you would do anything for a day of peace and quiet.
What do you think scares people about being alone in the true sense of the word?
I'm thinking of trying to write an article about it. I'd love to hear your thoughts about why alone might be one of the scariest words ever.
3 comments:
People need a certian amount of hugs and physical affection... My grandmother who has been widowed for about 13 years was talking about that recently, the lack of physical touch, that makes me sad.
For me I have to separate being alone and loneliness. I can be in a crowd and still feel lonely. It's a lack of connection, whether on our own or with a lot of people.
When we moved and first started attending our present church, my son would be in Sunday School and quite often my husband had to work on Sundays. I would go in and sit in the back pew. The church is very well attended, so I definitely wasn't alone, but I was so desperately lonely. I could come and go each week and not one person even notice I was there.
I don't need a lot of friends, but I do find I hunger for a couple of close contacts. There are so many references in the Bible to "one another". God made us with that desire for relationship. I often have to remind myself that He promises to never leave me or forsake me...so I'm never truly alone, but I still long for friendship here on earth.
The scariest thing...feeling that there is no one who cares about you. Not having someone with whom you can share your heart. You walk into a room and stand there by yourself, hunting in your purse for nothing, just to make yourself look busy and not so pathetically alone.
I'm thinking I need a bit more God confidence :)
Interesting question Amy.
Praying for you,
Joy
I think the scariest thing about being alone means you aren't happy with yourself. Two verses came to mind as I was reading your post. One is 1 Corinthians 13:13 "and now these 3 remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." the other one is Romans 8:1 "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
What it said to me was that being alone means we desperatly need love whether it be from other people, God, or ourselves (through Christ).
The other thing is that when we are alone we don't need to be fearful of our past fears/sins, that Christ set us free. I can be alone and not fear the things that trouble me, because I am loved by God, I am forgiven through Christ, and His holy Spirit lives within me; I need not fear being alone.
that's my 2 cents. take it for what you can.
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