Nowadays, people view being alone for periods of time as a sign of a mental “disease,” such as depression or having trouble socializing with others.
An article I read called “The End of Literacy? Don’t Stop Reading” by Howard Gardner asserts that young people love to converse with one another, whether it’d be on the web or in person. Gardner believes that they think solitary time is considered to be “toxic.” In some circumstances, this could be true. Yet not everyone enjoys spending every hour of every day of every week jabbering on and on to others and being, well, social, and I can safely say I am one of those people.
Outside of school, I do not spend time getting together with people very often. Unless it’s working for my neighbors or attending a class meeting, socializing with others is one of the things I do the least of. Solitary time is heaven for me. My weekends consist of reading various novels, listening to a new favorite band, catching up on "Game of Thrones" or doing homework for school. Several people, including my parents, will often ask me why I don’t go out and visit friends or at the very least spend time out of my room. The truth is, I don’t really have an answer for them.
Being in my room by myself is just something I enjoy and have been enjoying for as long as I can remember, which most people won’t understand. Ever since kindergarten, I’ve always been a fairly shy person, but I don’t think shyness is the reason for my “hiding.” In fact, I don’t even consider spending the whole day in my room hiding.
I love spending solitary time in my room just as much as a fat kid loves cake. When alone, I’m able to let my mind wander to wherever it wants to go. I usually make plans for what I’m going to do in my room over the next few days, and sometimes I even go as far as planning a certain amount of solitary time in college.
Reading and writing has been a part of my life ever since I was a little girl, and I can’t imagine what I would do if I wouldn’t have the time to read or write outside of school. Of course, reading and writing require a quiet area (most of the time) where a person can let themselves think of a new story to create or delve into someone else’s story. Being alone is the only time I have where I am able to do these things, and they take up most of my time anyway.
There are so many students in our school, including some of my friends, who feel like talking all of the time. The hallways are never silent during the three-minute period from one class to the next. Even during assemblies, kids seem to be talking over the latest gossip that no one will care about a week later. No one wants to walk down the hallway alone without having anyone to talk to. It would make them look like an outcast or someone that not many people like being in the company of.
Often times I find myself sitting alone during breakfast in the cafeteria, and I’m perfectly fine with that. It’s not because I’m a person that everyone hates and doesn’t talk to, but I somehow enjoy being able to filter out the noise of others and observe the scenery around me. Solitary time gives me a sense of relaxation that I wouldn’t feel if I would be having a chat with someone. Most young people don’t understand the tranquility behind solitary time, but for me, it’s my favorite time of day when I’m able to be by myself and think.
