Dove and Moon

Lonely . . .

It seems an epidemic:  Loneliness!

For in a world with so much connectivity, we find ourselves living in our own little islands. Isolated. Alone.

The once-loved sound of a telephone ring, who could it be? Now replaced with dread — a telemarketer.

The warm timbre of a loved one’s voice, now replaced (if at all!) by texts and emails, icons and hashtags.

It’s like within so much humanity . . . we’ve lost our humanity.

We’ve become test-tube humans. Sterile. Cold.

Remember the poor little experimental monkeys researchers deprived of a mother, instead feeding through cold tubes. And the life-long psychological damage this lack of touch and love inflict.

It’s like we have become the monkeys. Untouched. Unloved.

Fed with our cold plug-in gadgets, but deprived of the warm hands-on interactions that our human spirits and souls so deeply crave.

Tree Face

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So what can fill that emptiness?

What’s the remedy?

How do we heal a society that’s grown so cold to human interaction?

It must begin with each one of us. In baby steps.

Who can I visit today? Who can I call?

Who can I banter with, here at Starbucks, at the store . . . that stranger there, in line next to me. That member of my big, human, planet-sharing-family, here in the same space/time as me. Breathing the same air . . .

What can I say in attempt to connect?

(See my post, Deep Philosophical Three Minute Conversations)

Some will accept. Smile. Even hug.

Some will shun. Saunter off, unphased.

And yet, I feel, it’s worth the try.

Worth feeling awkward.

Because, sometimes, I manage to get through. To connect.

Sometimes a tender nerve is touched. Kind words are exchanged. Tears flow between our eyes.

Sometimes I make a new friend — some lasting.

And sometimes I seem to shatter the loneliness each one of us silently hides.

And break through to feeling warm.

Human. Again.

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North Shore Surfers

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Copyright 2018

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Dawn’s a Life-long Horse Girl — Please visit Dawn’s Horse Blog: Soul Horse Ride :))

~~___(\ ~~___(\ ~~___(\
…/< >\ …/< >\ …/< >\

El Rancho Viejo

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44 thoughts on “Lonely . . .”

  1. Nikki Watson

    Totally on board with this Dawn. Sometimes a smile and a cheery hello is all it takes to break down the barriers and start building barriers

    Sent from my iPad

    >

    Liked by 2 people

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  2. heartofahorsewoman

    Alone together. The intimate relationship between one and all. One of the perennial questions. You have come up with beautiful experiential responses. As always I love your heart and mind felt reflections on being human in our ever changing social life. Thank you.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. DawnSeeker / DawnHoof Post author

      Thank you — ah, those perennial questions. They just won’t leave us alone :)) How have you been? I love your writings . . . are you working on a book or some kind of published article? I hope all your Horse wisdom, Life wisdom and Word wisdom is up to something creative these days :)) I’m thinking of attending the American Horse Publications conference again. Have you ever gone? Hunt Valley, Maryland from June 14-16 this year . . .

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      1. heartofahorsewoman

        Of course this conference has come and gone. I have never heard of it. What is it? Just received this reply via another correspondence. So fun to share our thoughts through written word. Thanks for your kind acknowledgments.

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  3. Gail A. Bowman Parrish

    Hey Dawn💕
    Your problem is that you stopped coming to
    Molokai.
    You’re not alone. You just refuse to
    get the daily news from all your friends on Facebook.
    We love you.
    Why aren’t you here? You’re Choice.

    Plus, use the call blocking services for
    telemarketers etc. call your providers.
    Even easier on cell phones as you can block as many as you want!! I keep a list in my contacts
    In categories of their content. It’s a sport!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. DawnSeeker / DawnHoof Post author

      Hey Gail :)) Are you back on Molokai??? Missing Bigfoot (may he rest in peace!) the lilikoi and autograph trees and giant spider webs. Walks by the rocks and sea, palm fronds slapping, tropical bird songs, and dinner visit with you and Jeff!!! :))

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  10. apocketfullofmotherhood

    I too have noticed the creeping introverted way our society has become. The once active banter in a waiting room or line has now been replaced by everyone checking their phones while they wait. Our heads are done and our mouths are silent. I welcome the surprise of a random comment about a piece of jewelry I’m wearing or a pair of shoes I have on not just for the friendly human contact, but for the hope that someone is actually out there paying attention and taking the time to let someone know that we are still alive and connected, even if only by the combined like of a pair of boots.

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  11. Marija Smits

    Yes, I totally hear you! And it’s one of the reasons I haven’t got a smartphone as yet as I can see it becoming addictive, and then I’d not interact properly with anyone… But it’s so hard as my kids approach their pre-teens. Some of their friends have smartphones and my eldest child wants one. Not quite sure how to deal with that one! (Apart from putting the decision off for a while longer.)

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. DawnSeeker / DawnHoof Post author

      Yes! I still flip with my older phone, certain that the “smart” technology is beyond what my old-school mind wants to deal with :)) Best to you in the kid-rearing decision . . . my kids came before the era of phones. But I had them wait til 18 to get a license to drive a car :))

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    1. DawnSeeker / DawnHoof Post author

      I actually love being alone, and have been a “loner” my entire life (it contributes to my sanity :)) Yes — there is a difference. My work: alone, with horses, in a windy field; when I was younger, milking cows in the wee hours, daily, rather than getting a waitress job; living alone in a homemade tipi in a cow pasture; hiking solo in life-threatening backcountry terrain (and surviving!); riding my horses in the dark of night up an 8,000′ mountain. That’s me. Alone, and content.

      Lonely is the shift I’ve experienced in how we seem to interact these days (or not) when I come back into port from my alone adventures . . . Starbucks, the market, going to town. I’m doing my darnedest to keep the human element of friendly conversation alive — and I know by my interactions with you, Mike, that you’re up to some version of this too :)) Love your interesting photos and jealous of all the horses you get to see in your life out there in Amish-land :))

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  13. Samantha

    Good post, Dawn! Very inspiring. Although I have to admit I do appreciate my share of alone time every now and then :p
    I am not sure if I feel comfortable enough talking to strangers while waiting in line somewhere, but I think I’d like to try and see what happens!

    Liked by 1 person

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  14. Dalo 2013

    Beautiful post, Dawn, I think you capture a lot of what is the essence of spring ~ sharing in and enjoying the life that begins again, coming out of the loneliness of winter and back into the fun of spring/summer 🙂 Wishing you a great weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

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  15. ...

    You are right about people not connecting like they used to. I live in New Zealand and over here people in general are very friendly so it is easy to start a conversation with someone. People do rely on and use their smartphones too much and don’t notice the world around them.

    Liked by 1 person

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  17. Graham

    Really interesting. I’ve said on numerous occasions how I gain so much more out of the connections I make with strangers with shared interests on WordPress than I ever did with “friends” on Facebook…but nothing makes up for actually being with real, touchable friends!

    Liked by 2 people

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  18. LitLangIsLife

    I feel like this all the time. It’s good to see people finally acknowledging it- though the solution to the social drought brought on by #social media seems so far off… I really enjoyed this post. Thanks for sharing. It made me feel a lot less alone, so I’ll be sharing it too ^_^ .

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