I've always found comfort in constant chatter and never been one to let a conversation go silent. Being surrounded by a group of people is how I like to spend my time; it always has been. I never let little time for my to be alone throughout the day because I thought it wasn't for me. Until recently, I had a change of mind on my opinion on having time on your own.
In a recent trip to Europe, I finally let go of my fear of going out just on my own and people seeing me that way. I always thought there was a kind of shame in that, and I guess I wasn't comfortable enough to go out in public just by myself. Again, it took being in a foreign country to change my mindset, but this impacted me in many ways back home.
I woke up early one morning and headed to a local coffee shop down the street to sit down for a meal and some tea. At first I nervously and reluctantly would check each corner of the shop and then quickly return to looking at my feet, making sure no one was looking at me weird for being by myself. I was waiting in line to order when I finally realized how unnecessary it was to 1.) care if people were looking at my anyway, and 2.) realize the people surrounding me could care less. Everyone else was carrying on with their busy days and too occupied to stop and notice if I was alone, and many others were in fact by themselves as well.
I found a nice seat outside and proceeded to sit down with my meal and tea. I could finally have a clear enough head to hear and pay attention to the conversations in conversation, and I found it really interesting. "People watching" brought a different different feeling than being surrounded by people, but I enjoyed the change in those moments. Being a listener wasn't so bad after all.
I had time to clear my head, and do things I loved, such as reading and writing. Such activities can only be alone, usually from the comfort of my home. But now I was in a comfortable place, being inspired, and I could be alone without really being "alone," which helped spark my creativity, which helped me think of writing this.
I thought it was "weird" or uncomfortable being alone, or seen by myself out in public, but honestly, I think everyone could use some time to be alone-- some time to clear their head. I don't mean alone when you're constantly staring at your phone and making people text you to make it less noticeable that you're alone. I'm not talking about when you look down that you can't even notice your surroundings. I mean truly finding peace in time alone. There is always a time for talking and being surrounded by friends, but sometimes it's nice to take the time to listen and to watch.
