ALONE

I realized something the other day.  For the first time (practically) in my entire life I am living alone.

I don't mean I feel alone.  I have family and friends to call or visit if I wish; I don't feel alone in that sense.  And I can, and do, go out and interact with people.  I sell at flea markets, I go to bars, and I go to festivals.  So I have no lack of human contact.

But I live alone.

In my entire life I can remember only a few months here and there when I had a place all to myself.  Before I was married I lived in apartments with roommates, it made it easier to get by on my small salary at Radio Shack.  And before that I was in the Navy, and before that I was at home going to school.

Now I was alone when I travelled to California in my little trailer, but that seems different somehow.  I was on a journey then and had, if not a set schedule, at least an overall plan of travel taking me from place to place.  So while I was alone, it was different.

Mind you, I'm not writing this piece to complain.  There is an odd freedom to my life where the only schedule is that which I decide on for myself.  And that is largely done moment by moment.  There are chores, of course, I have a big house to manage, but life is definitely more stream-of-consciousness now.

It is an interesting kind of freedom.