How To Be Alone by Tonya Davis

I recently read the poem "How To Be Alone" by Tonya Davis. I don't remember how I came across it...random stumbling around on the internet. But it caught my attention. Tonya goes through the steps of acclamating onesself to the idea of being alone- from having coffee alone to going to dinner alone to going to the club alone and dancing like no one's watching, "because they probably aren't," as she puts it. Sometimes this can sound so appealing, and yet, seems like such a silly idea.

We are so absorbed in meeting people- connecting with them- adding them up and having the most friends, whether we are close with them or not. It's a game, a competiton, a distraction. We are surrounding ourselves with people and things to keep us from ourselves.

As I'm sitting here, on this plane, quite litterally flying solo, I'm having a hard time just sitting with myself. Ibwant to talk to the people sitting next to me, or text people on my phone that is always with me, or blog tobmy readers, or read something engaging. I can't just....be. Why?

I guess it's less of an inability to be alone, and more of a lack of desire to be alone. But again, why?

Is it a need to keep up with appearances- to keep up with the social norm of popularity? Is it a dislike of things that might cross my mind, or a fear of them? Is it because I am so used to being busy or occupied that I simply don't know how to stop?

I guess it's a good thing that I have this whole flight on my own to think about these things, as the man sittig next to me plays Angry Birds, as absorbed in his electronic life as I am; and as the people around sit with their spouses and their magazines, oblivious to the moments flying by.