tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35449554.post7941439632658846271..comments2023-07-08T05:40:25.922-04:00Comments on Which Way Is Up?: A Solitary SummerSJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18085726186055340423noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35449554.post-61774806395188526732008-06-13T12:05:00.000-04:002008-06-13T12:05:00.000-04:00It is certainly humbling to realize that as much a...It is certainly humbling to realize that as much as we value each other's friendships, we don't specifically rely on each other for advice or insight or anything really. And, I know you understand that this is normal and healthy. But let me just tell you, that as someone who has had a lot of unhealthy friendships with some very needy people, generally speaking, it is so much better to not have Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35449554.post-47048205322415470552008-06-06T04:28:00.000-04:002008-06-06T04:28:00.000-04:00NL - are you trying to say that no reasonable pers...NL - are you trying to say that no reasonable person could possibly feel lonely unless she was completely unable to communicate? This simply isn't true. Loneliness is an emotion with a cause -- I can certainly choose how I react to it, but you cannot deny that I (and many of my friends) have felt it. The fact that there are people around does not mean that it is impossible to feel lonely. In factSJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18085726186055340423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35449554.post-49501219502790302622008-06-06T04:05:00.000-04:002008-06-06T04:05:00.000-04:00Are you in solitary confinement? Are you in a gar...Are you in solitary confinement? Are you in a garret? Are you REALLY alone? Or...could you reach out to those who are in your environment, whose support/friendship you perhaps neglect, spurn or dismiss?<BR/> I think of those with aphasia or cerebral palsy, who cannot express themselves and must truly feel alone...If you can speak and write, you can connect. You are therefore NOT alone and Northern Lighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15969094667907320393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35449554.post-86866425841999841222008-06-05T11:18:00.000-04:002008-06-05T11:18:00.000-04:00which is why I wondered what makes the summer diff...<I>which is why I wondered what makes the summer different: why does being alone suddenly become oppressive?</I><BR/><BR/>I think the difference is that when you are alone in the dorm, it's because you <I>choose</I> to be alone but you always know that if you ever start to feel lonely or if you want to hang out, you can leave your room and find a friend. In the summer when most of your friends Erachethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00660802321998349072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35449554.post-2704964723632914282008-06-05T02:48:00.000-04:002008-06-05T02:48:00.000-04:00Thanks ya’ll—I appreciate your support, and I miss...Thanks ya’ll—I appreciate your support, and I miss you too!<BR/><BR/>That said, Erachet and apple, I still think that what I wrote originally is true, and applies to most of us. I never meant to intimate that we don’t truly care about each other—of course we do—but that is not the same as <I>needing</I> each other. Certainly, our lives are enhanced by our interactions, and we miss each other whenSJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18085726186055340423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35449554.post-17174353778697575362008-06-04T17:02:00.000-04:002008-06-04T17:02:00.000-04:00It isn’t me they need. No one truly cares enough t...<EM>It isn’t me they need. No one truly cares enough to feel that a day would be lacking without me, without my unique input and perspective.</EM><BR/>BZZ! Wrong!<BR/><BR/>A few things:<BR/><BR/>1. I totally relate -- if not this summer, then for sure last year's, as you may recall. The dispersion that occurs at the end of the semester has a bit of a depressing effect on us all, I think - we'rethe applehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04756184353010645018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35449554.post-72721902804907623942008-06-03T18:26:00.000-04:002008-06-03T18:26:00.000-04:00Feels like every other summer before....sigh. I t...Feels like every other summer before....sigh. I totally relate to the sentiment.<BR/><BR/>I guess the solution is to just try to enjoy summer for every good thing that it's worth!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35449554.post-4283812971298346132008-06-03T07:31:00.000-04:002008-06-03T07:31:00.000-04:00I think the answer lies in the fact that an extend...<I>I think the answer lies in the fact that an extended absence allows me to realize how little I am needed.<BR/><BR/><BR/>I am blessed with many wonderful friends, yet how many of them do I really talk to over the summer? Which of my friends feels the need to call me, specifically me, on a consistent basis? Honestly, very few, if any. We’re in touch, but mostly because they, too, are lonely and Erachethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00660802321998349072noreply@blogger.com