Solitude problems (was) RE: [at-l] Update on Bob

[lparker at cacaphony.net (L. Clayton Parker)]

I think it is true that solitude is relative. Different people
experience, and deal with, solitude in very different ways. 

For instance, my wife and children just spent a year in Gainesville,
Georgia. I had planned to move up there with them eventually. but things
just didn't work out. But back to the point, When she moved up there,
she took both boys with her, even though we both knew beyond a doubt
that it would be better for the boys if they had stayed here with me.
But she would not have lasted a week without them. As it was, she was
miserable without ME. Even though I drove up just about every other
weekend, she was still lonely. She could not function without daily
access to my presence.

I was pretty much the opposite. Long time listers will know that
although I enjoy company, I prefer solitude. It WAS strange coming home
to a quiet house every day and those of you with children will
appreciate that it wasn't necessarily a bad feeling, just different. I
did miss her and the boys, but I was able to function quite well even
though I was completely alone.

We each experienced solitude quite differently, she was only partially
alone, she had the children, I was totally alone and on my own. She felt
like she was so lonely she could (and did) just cry. I missed both my
wife and my children, but I was never that _lonely_.

This raises an interesting question. I hike a lot. But I am not a
thru-hiker. I do sections of the AT as it strikes my fancy and time
presents itself, but I hike a lot of other trails as well. But if I were
ever to decide to thru-hike, it would be my wife who would be the
biggest obstacle. Heck, both of my sons want to go with me! But she
would be terribly lonely. This bears some thinking on....

Lee I Joe

Once I knew where I was going, but now I have forgotten. Sometimes my
mind wanders. Sometimes it goes alone, and other times it takes me
along...this isn't one of those times...
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