The thing… and this is really a cool thing as things go… about that expression: ‘by yourself’, is that it is a fallacy, an impossibility, a blue herring, and many other clever ways of saying that it is just plain wrong. Because when you are ‘alone’, you are still with the coolest person you know… you are with you.
I mean, come on… who knows you better than you do? If you decide to go out to see a movie, you aren’t going to argue about which one to see. Or which restaurant to eat at. And you can be damn sure that the dinner conversation is going to sparkling. Just don’t carry on both sides of the conversation out loud unless you enjoy getting strange looks from the people around you. I do that all the time, but I go out of my way to let the people around me know how weird I am. I am so good at it that I can carry on more than two parts of any conversation I have with myself.
If you are worried that you might not be all that interesting to be with, make yourself more so. Take some classes at the local community college. Read some books. Learn an instrument. Take up painting. Self-improvement, by definition, works on yourself… your own bad self.
This post is for my friend, brickhousechick, who is facing another nonexistent crisis of modern life… empty nest syndrome. I am surprised that the drug companies have not yet fabricated and marketed a slew of new medications to deal with this ‘syndrome’… medications that offer the usual assortment of horrid side-effects such as: thoughts of suicide, growing breasts on men, exploding livers and anal leakage and so on, and sporting clever medical-sounding, quasi-latin names like: emptynesterol and allalonearine… but think about it… if the drug companies do not recognize a syndrome as a possible way to sell more drugs, can it really be a syndrome?
If your nest feels empty, you can fill it with friends and family, love and laughter, music and art. And when you can’t find anyone to come and visit you, you can always go out and find some new friends or exciting things to do. If there is one thing I know about birds… and I know a few things about them, because my mom got me into bird-watching even though I am much too young and handsome to be a bird-watcher… it is this: Baby birds are supposed to leave the nest, but parent birds can leave the nest anytime they want to.
And if, by the whims of fate and other people’s busy schedules, you occasionally end up ‘alone’, enjoy some quality time with the best person you know… you.
Pouring My Art Out 
Except for doctors, x-ray techs, ultrasound techs, etc. I have been spending a lot of time with my favorite person – me! I am one of those lucky people who likes my own company & very rarely feels lonely. When I do get into some loneliness I reach out to a e-buddy!
It is the only sensible way to be..
Sometimes you just want to get away from yourself and you cant cause…well…you are yourself.
Then be somebody else for a little while…
Good idea
I have one a day, no matter how much it hurts.
Sometimes my “alone” time is my only sane time. Not that I am that sane. Just a little more sane than the other people in my life.
My alone time is the craziest time…
Oh, I am so sorry brickhouse chick is going thru this, and I do not look forward to my turn at all.
One temporary cure I have found is to skip. It is almost impossible, as a grown adult, to skip and it not make you laugh like you were a little kid again. It’s no wonder we did it so often, it is fun and makes you happy. It can be a challenge to get yourself to really give it a whirl since it takes so much energy, but it works. Perhaps it is a lazy form of exercise, and they say exercise is good for us.
I totally skipped yesterday… on a bridge… in full public view… while spending some quality time with my youngest daughter and a friend of ours.
wasn’t it fun? didja laugh? I find that I do, or at least have a big ole grin on..
I live for the silly
I also tried a curtsy… because I had a coat tied around my waist and it felt like I was wearing a dress.
My dear Art,
This is a thoughtful, very pertinent post for all of us to understand and adopt. Are you certain you aren’t sick or something?
I got lucky
ARTHUR!!!! I may be climbing out of your screen sooner than later!!! I was out for several hours and just came home to find this hilarious post!
There may have been some leakage as I read this, “thoughts of suicide, growing breasts on men, exploding livers and anal leakage and so on, and sporting clever medical-sounding, quasi-latin names like: emptynesterol and allalonearine…” Those side effects sound like the ones I get with all my meds! I can add emptynesterol to the list of conditions I have. Aloneitis is another one I am suffering from. 🙂
You have great remedies for this first-world problem of mine. I am ready to follow your orders, Dr. Arthur. Move over Dr. OZ, because Dr. Arthur offers realistic cures for what ails us! There is no magic bullet here! Just common sense, exploration and an ability to like yourself.
I will be tweeting this tomorrow morning (since it’s so late tonight). I appreciate your kindness and humor – tremendously! Gracias, amigo! 🙂
Hey, you can reblog it if you want… but don’t tell everyone I was being helpful or they will all want me to solve their problems for them.
My God Art, you actually wrote a deep touching post. Are you OK? Is this a new trend? Have you given up the three hundred word titles? You should see your dcotor at your earliest possible convenience (which is to say your doctors convenience). We are all keeping you in our prayers. Bwahahaha!
I have written posts requiring thought, requiring suspension of belief, requiring a hanky, and a few that made people fall in love with me… this ain’t all smoke and giggles you know.
This might be one of my favorite things you’ve written. Of course, some of us don’t like ourselves much, but if all else fails, you can always do a little random street dancing. There is something magical about forcing yourself to not care.
If you don’t like yourself, change yourself… fix yourself before you nix yourself…
How?
ahhh… this one got spammed for some reason… how what?
I stuck PMAO. I’m stuck in some sort of strange downward spiral of self loathing. It’s freaky, but there’s got I be an end right? I hope it doesn’t destroy everything. Guess I should write.
Damn creativity. The monstrous beast which can soar you through the clouds than laugh as it pitches you off it’s beautiful wings. It typically rescues me before I hit the jagged rocks below, but it terrifies me every time. Words can be a tether. Hobble it and give me a moment of control.
Just remember that every word you use is under your control… they spring from you… they are nothing without you… if they come out bearing venom, then that venom is being released from you. If they come out freighted with love, they can bring love back to the roost.
“emptynesterol.” Ha, that’s great.
I am never alone. I have my holy trinity: me, myself, and I. We’re really good company for one another.
I before we, except after me…
Damn, I wish you had been my English teacher. Or my philosophy teacher. One or the other.
I think you have to actually finish high school before they let you teach either of those.