3 am in the morning, jostled out of my sleep by an odd thought was very disquieting and unsettling. It did a quick spin, darted around and had me up and out of bed in a snap of the fingers.
It stuck fast.
Worrying, confusing and so nagging-ly persistent, I had to pen it down as hurriedly as it was speeding in my brain.
‘LONELINESS’ it said. Only a term. Not a feeling or a sensation anymore. An evident numbness is creeping in on it; an intentional severing, a conscious cutting off of its existence; a deliberate effort of its annihilation. Everyone’s afraid of it.
This fear is it a good thing or bad? Shunned, avoided, and blocked completely out of our vocabulary and out of its very existence is what we are working so hard at. Nobody wants to be a part of it, not in their own lives and surely not in somebody else’s. Could this living sans a feeling, turn us into machines or zombie’s perhaps?
“I miss you” is good – is acceptable and says ‘normal and sound’. BUT “I am LONELY …… “spells a hindrance hazardous, looming danger to be steered clear of by all means, is how it goes now. The Lonely, armed and equipped with technology, create an alternate secure refuge by surrounding themselves with every form of simulated companions- the likes of Facebook and Watsapp - investing much of their valued hours with their latest gadget ‘besties’ that buy for them approval and acceptance; an instinct for survival.
The dodgers, preferring to play their part best, send in ardor and affection to the known affected from out of harm’s way; both running and hiding from this plagued malady- distancing themselves from a prohibited taboo.
Alas! this cover–up balm is much too short-lived a solace and consolation.
The buzz of the telephone rattles me out of this confounded daze. “How are you today…?” Says a voice… “I’ve taken some time off work, how about I come by and spend some time with you…. ? ” Feel-good endorphins are immediately released – the hands move faster, the once heavy feet do a skip. All smiles beaming relax the uptight muscles. A big load rolls right off the burdened mind. In happy anticipation I look forward to the company and presence of another being who truly cares enough to be there in person and not just a message on the screen.
In identifying with and in acknowledgement of the theme of World Mental Health Day 10th October 2016 – Psychological first aid and the support people can provide to those in distress-.( Theme set by the World federation for Mental Health).
