I've heard from more single friends than usual about how the season is messing them up. Rightfully so for some of them. Their kids are with the other parent; they have no family. They are very literally alone often. But there are those people who have been complaining about loneliness since way before the holidays. From one single person to another, it's time to do something different with your life. I can honestly say that I am so rarely bored or lonely that I've stopped noticing it. Here's why: I have a life. That's not said with a smug sense of superiority. It is said as the solution that works for me. I have a life that I love right now. I don't have time to worry about "looking" or being found. I am always available. But, I am always doing something and enjoying myself in the meantime.
I attend school. I read books. I think. A lot. I exercise. A little. I go to the beach and walk or look for moonglass. I write essays. I blog. I take pictures. I cook. I garden. I thrift shop. I watch foreign films and daydream like a motherfckr. I don't act like a bitch when a stranger sits down nearby and starts conversing with me. I reach out when I see someone else is lonely and I try to cheer him or her up instead of joining in the misery. I set goals. I entertain bad ideas. I take impromptu trips to nowhere. I treat NOTHING as though it should last forever - happy to experience awesome moments and awesome people for however long they last. I drink cocktails and wine and invite people over, even though my house is "yay-big." I don't wait for my friends to come to me; I go to them, even if they're far away. Most importantly, I am happy with myself, so I am comfortable being alone with myself for any length of time. There's a new year coming, and it's time for the Lonely Hearts to get out there and enjoy life. It's good even when no one else is there to witness it with you.