Today I'm having a 'me' day - a day with as little contact with others as possible where I just mooch about eating what I want, watching what I want, doing what I want, without having to have a conversation or discussion about it. Is this selfish of me?
I am happy to be on my own - as an only child, I learned to make my own entertainment and found peace with my own company. Many people I've talked to over the years are surprised by this, but I am more relaxed by myself than I am in the company of others. That's not to say that I don't enjoy being with others, but I do enjoy those periods of solitude I can occasionally experience.
I think this may be why I enjoy swimming so much. When you put your head under the water, you cross from the normal world across a boundary layer into the watery world where the normal environment is excluded. Even in something as man-made as a swimming pool, any sound and vision becomes significantly muted you in your own little world.
As I grow older, through work and home life, the opportunity for this quiet time becomes diminished. I'm not sad about this, but it does mean that when I'm holiday, I like to take a day's contemplation time to refresh and renew. I suspect that over time, even this will be reduced, but so be it. So I should say it now - farewell solace - you will be missed.
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