Aragorn: What do you fear, my lady?
Eowyn: A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

This scene was especially powerful for me. It exemplifies the way I feel about the corporate 9 to 5 exp grind. Regular readers of this site will not see this as a surprise. I’ve lived that life before when I lived in SoCal, and I don’t ever want to do it again.

There has to be more to life than work. Human beings were not meant to live like this. We pack together like sardines in our cities and live like rats in a cage. Any semblance of freedom is thrown to the wind while we sit in our SUVs for 3 hours a day in traffic. We sit in our little cubicles like lab rats for a good 9 hours a day behind an electronic portal to the world. In this economy we are so worried about keeping our jobs we work longer than we are asked, daily, and perhaps weekends.

How many of you would like to feel the wind on your face or the warmth of the sun while you work? How many of you feel that your chosen profession is really making a difference in the world? Are you making people’s lives better? Are you contributing to humanity?

I don’t have all the answers. In fact, I have very few. All I know is what I know: I can’t go back to that life. What the future holds for me is yet to be seen.

I don’t have a plan, I’m just making it up as I go.

“Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe.”

– Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu (580-600 B.C.)

I was laying in bed last night, thinking yet again about stuff…

We are taught from birth to be social creatures. We are encouraged to play with other kids, to share, etc. In school we are taught to work in groups. In the workplace we are placed in teams and committees. It is considered a normal progression of adulthood to get married.

I say it’s OK to be alone. I’ve always cherished my time alone. It’s not something everyone understands. Most of my ex-girlfriends have been rather needy, and unaccepting of my desire for solitude from time to time. Indeed, in the past I have felt guilty for just wanting to be left alone.

Is it not unhealthy to need constant companionship? So many people I know are incapable of functioning in social situations without their friends or lovers, their security blankets. This lack of independence I think is unhealthy.

My friend Dave likes to say, “There’s a big difference between being alone and being lonely.” I agree with this statement. Just because I live alone, have no wife or kids, etc. doesn’t mean I’m lonely. I prefer it this way. I’m comfortable with my life.

When was the last time you were truly alone? Have you gone for a walk in the woods or on the beach by yourself? How about sitting in a coffee shop or visiting a book store alone? Everyone needs “me” time. Don’t neglect yourself.