Time flies. It’s already October. Before we know it, it’ll be 2020! As the festive season is fast approaching, how do you celebrate?
Do you go with the flow? Or do you prefer to do things of your own free will? If you’re more an extrovert, you probably like something big, loud and lively. If you’re more an introvert, you probably like something small, quiet and low-key. The fact is there’s no rule book on how to spend your holidays, it’s our free time after all.
Working in the corporate world means I’m surrounded by people all the time. There’re plenty of opportunities for interactions either through face-to-face or internet or telephone. My job keeps me on my toes. No two days are the same and there’s never a dull moment.
At home though, it’s a different story. By choice, I operate my personal life at a much slower pace, involving no more than myself and my fury kid Jamie.
The concept of solitude is like venturing into a private haven, taking me far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s exactly what I need at the end of the day. It doesn’t make me a loner.
All in all, if you don’t enjoy your own company, how can you expect others to enjoy yours?
In the creative process, I need to be fully engaged in oneness. I need to be alone. I need to be that person who thinks alone, reads alone, and writes alone. Yes, I’m alone, solo, by myself, on my own, whatever you call it. Loneliness is the last thing on my mind. Without trying to sound too arrogant, it’s not in my vocabulary.
You? Perhaps you too do a lot of things alone. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Now, the question of Is one really a lonely number? My answer is: Not at all.
So, what is a lonely number then? In my opinion, zero is a lonely number.
Loneliness is best described as a state of mind derived from a behavioural response in which case one can be either alone or not alone. It has nothing to do with numbers, whether you’re one or with one hundred.
Lastly, before we go and tackle the epidemic of loneliness in our society, perhaps one single step that everyone can take is to let go of the misconception – the assumption of one is a lonely number…
Ted Tsai 