I think we take our society for granted at times. We foolishly assume someone will be there for us at all times.
In India, privacy is unheard of. There is always someone there at all times. It can seem like an invasion to the current generation. After all, we all crave for space. To be left alone with our thoughts and our dreams.
I feel that distance from the ones you love is sometimes good. It helps you grow as a person. To face your worst fears.
One fear most have is being lonely when left alone. Don't confuse the two terms. Being alone is very different from being lonely. You can be lonely even when you have people with you. You simply feel disconnected from everything. You just feel like you can't vibe with people.
I have often wondered if I can feel alone and lonely at the same time. After all, I am an outgoing person and for me, there is always someone who will be there, even if it means a phonecall outside the country.
My curiousity did get the better of me and i went on a self imposed exile a while back to see if I could survive without everyone i knew.
The lure of parties, coffee meetings, brunch talks and shopping trips was firmly dismissed and i went away to do some serious thinking about life and where I would find true happiness.
I have never really read enough books about finding happiness because personally for me, happiness just like loneliness, is a state of the mind. Opposite sides of a coin.
Maybe being alone in some warped way would make me happy.
It did make me happy. It also gave me the confidence to face my worst fears. There were times when i was with a group of people and i felt lonely. Almost like i was cut out from them and living my own life separately while we dined and made merry. So in a way i felt like i was alone because i wasn't participating in the fun. Instead, I craved for my space and sometimes doing nothing in an apartment that was non descript, gave me a sense of peace and comfort.
Most people i know don't want to be left alone. Some of my friends have told me that they don't know what to do or that they are afraid. I have always wondered if your very own thoughts are what you should be afraid of. After all, when you are alone, your thoughts are all that you have.
Does that mean that most of us are not very comfortable with what we think. Do our thoughts hold the key to our happiness then?
Something to ponder over, don't you think?
For me, what matters is escaping into a world that isn't dictated by norms. I realise now it's not about physical privacy so much as it is about mentally letting go and letting your thoughts liberate you.
Think about it. I may be wrong. Then again, i might be speaking some sense...
