Loneliness is like a dagger in the side yet can be a blessing at the same time. We can know the place they live intimately, and its inhabitants - even passing a nod as they pass. But deep down they are still alone. This loneliness is like a poison that eats from inside out and devours the spirit of the lonely. People are social creatures and without that connection we are but empty shells walking around, lost, trapped in a potential prison of our own mind.
Yet, within that ache, solitude sharpens perception. In the quiet, the mind learns its own contours; thoughts grow clearer, truer, unfiltered by the noise of others. Loneliness teaches self-reliance and honesty, forcing one to confront who they are when no one is watching. It can be a mirror as much as a wound.
Even with the mind knowing itself completely, there is nothing like a human connection. To be held by someone, laugh with another, talk to yet another. Being alone robs us of these natural gifts meant for humans, they isolate us and give us a deadening melancholy. This melancholy continues to percolate within us and eats all aspect of social interaction we may have until we are inept in all social situations.
The danger lies not in being alone, but in believing one is unseen forever. When solitude hardens into isolation, the poison takes hold. But when it is held gently-acknowledged, not feared-it can become a threshold rather than a prison. From that stillness, connection regains its meaning, and when another soul finally meets yours, even briefly, it feels less like chance and more like grace.
The connection with another can free us from all these evils previously mentioned. It can be a relationship, friendship or a friendly acquantance you play with regularly. But the importance is connection. It frees us, and gives us a chance at a life not alone and isn't this what grace is?
Just as the ache of loneliness and solitude can sharpen us as help us get to know our real selves. So too can a true connection. It also can act as a mirror and expose the real versions of ourselves the ones outside of our heads. We get to know the person outside the mask we have built and the walls we have hid behind. A true connection can destroy those walls and remove that mask and help us see who we really are. They can help us even evolve who we are into someone new, someone not alone, someone confident and friendly, someone we always wanted to be.