“I had this advantage, at least, in my mode of life, over those who were obliged to look abroad for amusement, to society and the theatre, that my life itself was become my amusement and never ceased to be my novel” Walden, Henry David Thoreau
Many pieces of writing criticizing how people live may grow old and out of date as time passes, but in this peace speaks to something that has only become more true over time. We have gone from plays to movies and novels to binging episodes of our favorite shows on Hulu or Netflix or even Amazon Prime. Growing up I was never truly alone. I either had one of my siblings or a book with me. As I grew up I found enjoyment with TV shows and sports, limiting the time that I was alone with my thoughts to next to none.
The conversations I have with people show similar experiences. Where they may have been ‘left alone’, there was always the chance for outside entertainment, be that from a book, TV or tablet and smartphone as they got older. Even now, if I’m in the elevator alone I often open my phone and scroll through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram while I wait for the doors to open and have many friends who are the same way.
This nature of always being a touch away from entertainment has a positive and negative side. The positive being a stronger sense of community that we feel. I can know who my twin sister’s friends are despite living 414 miles away and have even been able to speak to some over the phone. Even with distance we stay in each others’ lives. The negative side hits much harder. We no longer know how to be truly alone. Where some people are good story tellers, they still look for that as an escape from human life.
In order to understand Thoreau, I am going to find time to be with only myself for a set amount of time, not allowing for anything but my own mind to amuse me. Check up on Sunday night for an update!