I recently finished reading The Stranger in the Woods, about the ‘hermit’ of Maine who parked his car on the side of the road and walked into the woods where he lived alone for the next twenty-seven years. It is worth a read to explore how he lived and the implications of that lifestyle for the individual, the community near by, and the society at large.
In the book, there were some very interesting statistics on how long the average American goes without interacting with another human being and how long the average American spends in silence. It’s no secret, it’s not long. In fact, there are some disturbing options people will choose to avoid being alone with their own silence.
Friday Challenge is a pondering (and perhaps journaling) challenge:
–What is the longest time you have gone without interacting with another human being?
–What is the longest time you have spent in complete silence? Just silence.
–When was the last time you were totally alone?
–How long did it last?
–How did it feel?
Bonus Points:
–How does the idea of spending time alone and in silence make you feel?
–Deliberately spend some time alone and in silence…if you like, tell us about it.
Trillium Ayurveda 