Am I lonesome tonight?

Elvis croons to me as I read....long into the night.

Are you lonesome tonight
Do you miss me tonight
Are you sorry we drifted apart
Does your memory stray to a bright sunny day....

I am often asked if I get lonely, staying all by myself. My answer always has been, "Alone I may be....but lonely I am not."

Being alone does not mean being lonely. This is a state of being. One could be lonely even while being surrounded by a bunch of people. Loneliness can be very depressing. Its so negative. On the other hand aloneness has taught me the love of solitude. I can stop and smell the rose wherever and whenever I want. It's been quite fulfilling.

I have explored the quite of the woods...discovered the beauty of the wild flowers as they grow shaded amongst the thick growth of the jungles. I have uncovered the various sounds one gets to hear in the thick of the woods....the various birds, insects and animals. I have seen the power of the waves...how they smash against the rocks and as they recede...leave behind the strange smelly weeds and tiny crustaceans clinging to the bits and pieces of sand and rocks.

I love to read...books have been my constant companion. Movies I love to watch and there are so many good movies that I have to see. Now that I have taken to writing....I need more time! There is so much to do! So much to see! Where is the time to be lonely? Solitude is such a bliss!