I read somewhere once that we should treat loneliness like a cold shower. A shock when we feel it, but energizing if we have the courage to really feel it and sit with it.
Now that I've had the courage to feel the hunger, I realize what's holding it in place. This loneliness. This loneliness that I've felt all my life. And this loneliness that I may feel for the rest of my life simply because it's human. But it is loneliness and I need to sort out the natural loneliness that arises just from having this useful tool, the "self." And the self-created loneliness that is the result of my habit of withdrawal from life and people.
And I need to strengthen my belief that there is a way out. I need to acknowledge that I need community and that there is a way to create it.
The problem with technology is that we can use it to do both. We can use it to create genuine community, to find like minded, generous, active local people, to create refuges that support our humanity. Or we can use it to numb loneliness and find escapes that make us feel even more lost.
It's really about intention.
I can use food to feed my loneliness and make it worse. Or I can use food to create celebration and bring people together, and nurture my soul.
