When You’re Alone, But You’re Not Lonely
By Alison Ortiz
I mean, what’s so bad about being alone — honestly?
So you’re sitting alone on the beach, families, couples, and groups of friends surround you. You sit closest to the water, just to soak up the sun, listen to the waves and lay in the sand. You’re not here alone because you have no other choice—this is your choice. Just killing time…you feel like that’s the reason for most of your escapades. But we get it; you’re alone, not lonely.
Since the beginning of time, maybe that’s farfetched but you get the idea, people have been afraid to go out alone in public. I’m not saying that this applies to everyone, however, I for one am a victim of this stigma and so are many other individuals.
Now, do we chalk it up to social anxiety? That lump in your throat, the sweat on your palms, the constant thud in your chest—the fear that everyone around you will judge you for being alone. You feel their pity. You want to just scream at them and tell them that you’re alone by choice.
“What’s wrong with her?”
It’s useless; you know that even if they knew that you were just alone, not just lonely, that they wouldn’t understand.
“Poor girl.”
“Fuck me, right?” you think. You decide to go to the beach alone and now you have to succumb to this stigma that you’re not just alone, you’re alone and lonely.
But even if you were, would that make them want to come sit right next to you, just to soak up the sun, listen to the waves, and lay in the sand?
No?
Thought so.