Time alone --[Reported by Umva mag]

THE DESIRE to be alone beckons those neither in the throes of depression or fleeing an arrest warrant. Sometimes, solitude is not always a matter of choice anyway, as when nobody seems to be available for lunch even for the next two weeks. (Let me get back to you before Christmas.) Invitees just seem to be too busy with more important events than meeting with you over salad nicoise and iced coffee.

Still, there are activities that require being alone.

You may need to do some reading without interruption. You may require silence to nail down a fleeting subject with words, or to think of exit strategies without needing to bounce ideas off anybody. It’s true that memory-jogging for a fleeting face suddenly forgotten requires younger company to provide possible answers — did she had “peach fuzz” on top of her lips? Sometimes, you simply want to meditate in silence on how you got so many skin tags on your neck and back in your old age.

You detest the company of strangers while in the plane on your way to a foreign country, especially in the seat beside you crowding your space with unwanted conversation asking what you do for a living. (I can’t hear you with my earphones on.)

In interviews, celebrities predictably mourn the loss of their privacy, the right to be by themselves when strolling around the mall, unwilling to be accosted and required to pose for selfies from impertinent fans. No longer can they shop and do pedestrian chores without attracting mobs dissecting their lives based on chance encounters — who was that person he was walking with?

Don’t Olympic medal winners naturally hide from those who want a small slice of their untaxed prize money? Not all of them are relatives. Sure, this new celebrity can allow the company of a blonde-dyed friend. What do they talk about? After toting up the money and gifts, maybe the next thing they crave is privacy.

Solitude should not be the result of simply being forgotten or seen to be socially “radioactive” and shunned. Even misanthropes sometimes crave company. After abandoning their solitary status, they want to hear a human voice directed at them — Do you know where the CR is?

There is some appeal in having friends engaging in aimless conversation discussing political scenarios in the US elections, stock market gyrations, career shifts, and how much cheaper electric cars have become. Topics differ with certain Viber groups. Religion is one. The Simon and Garfunkel song, “Dangling Conversation” (It’s a still life watercolor/ of a now late afternoon/ as the sun shines through the curtained lace/ and shadows wash the room) captures this mood of social interaction.

Solitude can be unbearable when imposed involuntarily. It may include getting lost in a foreign city, a marital split-up, or being shunned after undergoing a hostile investigation into what happened to your budget.

After the now waning option of online meetings in the pandemic, foreign travel for business or leisure is picking up. And yet even crowded airports can bring out the feeling of solitude.

What brings home this solitary feeling in the solo business traveler is standing by the restaurant sign, waiting to be seated. (Do you have a reservation?) When his turn comes, he asks for a table for one — near the window.

Breakfast at a foreign hotel can be lonely. There is a compulsion to make it look voluntary, even preferred. One gets busy with the mobile phone, checking the news and e-mails as he takes his coffee and poached eggs to keep occupied. He picks up where he left off in the latest book by Ken Follett he is reading on the introduction of the spinning wheel and the economic stresses of the 23 years of the Napoleonic war.

Time alone should be a matter of choice.

Greta Garbo, an actress from the silent movies, and very early turned recluse, famously uttered that most quoted line, “I want to be alone.” This much attributed quote comes from Garbo’s role as a ballerina in the movie, Grand Hotel. She clarified that what she really said was: “I want to be left alone.”

Wanting to be left alone can be a plea. It can also be a situation that has lost its allure.

Tony Samson is chairman and CEO of TOUCH xda

ar.samson@yahoo.com

The following news has been carefully analyzed, curated, and compiled by Umva Mag from a diverse range of people, sources, and reputable platforms. Our editorial team strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information we provide. By combining insights from multiple perspectives, we aim to offer a well-rounded and comprehensive understanding of the events and stories that shape our world. Umva Mag values transparency, accountability, and journalistic integrity, ensuring that each piece of content is delivered with the utmost professionalism.