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The Pleasures of Companionship

I have always been a proponent of spending time alone, far from the security and comfort provided by one’s close family and friends. This time alone was a statement of independence, that of self-sufficiency, a statement that screamed I am strong enough to survive on my own. In addition, time alone meant one was not subject to the whim of one’s companions. I did what I wanted, how I wanted and when I wanted. That was freedom. And so I often traveled alone, planning the itinerary according to my taste and changing it according to my whims. I neither had to wait for the friend who wanted to snap pictures of every other thing neither did I have to inconvenience my budget to his taste. It was great, at least at first.

Then it got to the point when the loneliness caught up with me, when as I stared at the majestic monument or scenery in awe, I looked to my right and left and realized there was none to share it with. When I had to use the loo, there was no one to watch over my bag, neither was there anyone to make me feel a tad more safe when I was lost in the middle of nowhere.

I once complained to my friend of having to live in a student accommodation where the kitchen was shared and it often meant having to put up with the dirty habits of one’s neighbors. He declared himself fortunate of having a kitchen in his own apartment and not having to share it with anyone. A few days later he would lament how lonely it was for him when I told him of the great conversations I was having with my housemates in the shared kitchen.  

So it is well, give and take. In a world where social circles on Facebook keeps expanding but the one in real life keeps diminishing, a world which values privacy and yet still demands attention, a world where one wants the companionship but not the responsibility and inconveniences attached to it, it is somewhat complicated. As much as I enjoy the long days in Berlin watching the tress swaying outside my window and reading the ‘The 100 Year Old Man who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared’ while munching on some peanuts in my awfully quiet room, I eagerly look forward to the moment I can pick up my phone, call home and say,

“Hey! Guess what happened yesterday….”


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