thoughts for jess on big city solitude
"jessi,
how fortunate you are to live in a city where "losing yourself in the crowd" is an option. the smaller the city, the more elusive our precious solitude becomes. in mine, because of the size and the job which i hold, to step outside is to be instantly recognized and instantly hailed. here lie a few suggestions -- "tips and tricks," if you will -- pulled from the experiences of a jealous hunter of loneness and seclusion:for coffee shops -- the most obvious haunts for those seeking solitude: choose the darkest, loneliest corner. don't make eye contact with other loners. rotate. avoid becoming a "regular." if the baristas begin pulling your shots before you are fully through the door, gather your belongings and move onward.less obvious: the Industrial Part of Town. most cities have them, and once the steel workers and cannery operators have called it a day, it is yours for the taking.cemeteries: not for everyone, obviously, but if walking amongst tombstones doesn't bother you, take advantage of the quiet. the dead will seldom try to interrupt your thoughts with pointless smalltalk.tops of buildings: amazingly peaceful if you can access them.tops of parking structures: often disliked and avoided, especially by the package-laden, and thus ideal.parks after dark: tricky. sometimes patrolled by cops if there are After Hours rules. sometimes home to questionable characters. newer often means safer.best of luck to you. never stop searching. for you and i, fellow loner, Silence and Solitude is Sanity.
-emily"
well here is someone that obviously knows more about solitude than I, and my favorite part is "silence and solitude is sanity." thanks em for your thoughts.
-stephen
how fortunate you are to live in a city where "losing yourself in the crowd" is an option. the smaller the city, the more elusive our precious solitude becomes. in mine, because of the size and the job which i hold, to step outside is to be instantly recognized and instantly hailed. here lie a few suggestions -- "tips and tricks," if you will -- pulled from the experiences of a jealous hunter of loneness and seclusion:for coffee shops -- the most obvious haunts for those seeking solitude: choose the darkest, loneliest corner. don't make eye contact with other loners. rotate. avoid becoming a "regular." if the baristas begin pulling your shots before you are fully through the door, gather your belongings and move onward.less obvious: the Industrial Part of Town. most cities have them, and once the steel workers and cannery operators have called it a day, it is yours for the taking.cemeteries: not for everyone, obviously, but if walking amongst tombstones doesn't bother you, take advantage of the quiet. the dead will seldom try to interrupt your thoughts with pointless smalltalk.tops of buildings: amazingly peaceful if you can access them.tops of parking structures: often disliked and avoided, especially by the package-laden, and thus ideal.parks after dark: tricky. sometimes patrolled by cops if there are After Hours rules. sometimes home to questionable characters. newer often means safer.best of luck to you. never stop searching. for you and i, fellow loner, Silence and Solitude is Sanity.
-emily"
well here is someone that obviously knows more about solitude than I, and my favorite part is "silence and solitude is sanity." thanks em for your thoughts.
-stephen
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