I am experiencing a totally joyous event – I’m alone. I have the entire house to myself. Roomie went fishing and won’t be back until tomorrow evening. Don’t get me wrong, roomie is a good guy and we do fine as room mates. But, I rarely get an entire day and half alone and to myself.
And a funny thing happens on that rare occasion when I have total solitude – I perk right up. I’m not tired at midnight. I could read and write all night. I have no thought to deadlines and must-do’s and have-to-be’s. It’s really wonderful. I guess I’m saying I love my own company. No…that’s not it. It’s that I have freedoms when I’m alone that I do not have in the presence of other people. I don’t have to turn down my music or be quiet when I want a late night snack, I can watch tv all night without worrying that I’m disturbing someone, or talk on the phone with my night owl friends. I can leave my door open without concerns of modesty or intrusion. I can think without interruption. I can write without having to stop in mid-thought to answer questions about pets or air conditioners. I can just breathe.
I think that all writers are like that. We need time alone. Time to ourselves. Time to think. Time to reflect. Time to consider. Time to create. Though most of us adapt and learn to write anywhere and nearly under any circumstance. The best times are always when we’re alone, when we don’t have to interact with anything other than our own minds and creativity. Could be that there just isn’t room for others when you already have a mind full of characters chatting, carping and raising hell.
How about you? Do you crave alone-ness? What do you do when you have the whole house to yourself?
Writer Chick
copyright 2011
Anita Rodgers Mystery Writer 
It took me decades to figure out just how much I craved solitude. Not so much so I could write as just to live without the deadlines and obligations imposed by others. Now that I’m retired, what do I do? Anything I want … or nothing at all.
Hey Girl,
It didn’t take me decades to figure it out, even as a kid I always sought the quiet of solitude – could be because of all the siblings and a small house though… But the anything I want or nothing at all – oh yeah, I’m totally with you on that.
Annie
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Like you, Annie, I have always enjoyed my own company most 🙂 My parents used to joke that, IF they needed to punish me, they couldn’t just send me to my room because I’m probably already there [reading and writing] and I I wouldn’t consider it a punishment, anyway.
Enjoy the solitude, girl 🙂
-Debi
LOL Debs, my parents had the same problem. If only they realized that forcing me into social situations would do the trick they’d have really had the upper hand. I am enjoying the solitude – but meanwhile am staking out a large oak tree far and away from the maddening crowd. 😉
Annie
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I know exactly how you feel. I love living with my daughter and her lovely family but when they tell me they are going off island overnight I get a happy chill all over. I love my alone time for the same reasons that you listed. When the kids are around I always take a ride to the beach after supper. I don’t stay long but I listen to loud music and just breath. I spend most of my evening in my room, reading, writing, whatever. That’s how I relax. Also I like to give the kids their space too. My daughter knows this about me (thank goodness) and always makes sure I get my “me” time.
Hey Joanie!
I think we are birds of a feather my dear. I would die if I didn’t get my alone time. And I think it’s pretty rare, it seems that most people don’t like being alone. I’d love it if I could just jump in the car and zip down to the beach quickly and just watch the waves and the birds and the water. That would be cool. But I have a garden and a backyard with lots of birds and flowers and that’s my hideaway. Also we have a dry riverbed out here called The Wash, which I love to walk in – lots of chipmunks, birds, lizards, bunnies, roadrunners, and southwestern plants – even a duck pond. Ah, it’s great to be alive, yes?
Love
Annie
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Hugs and Jugs 🙂
LOL! Hugs and Jugs to you too. 😆
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