I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
Month: January 2018
Loneliness has been romanticized, hypothesized, criticized, and realized time and again, for years and years, and still it exists as it never has before.
It is an isolating condition we all, I believe, have experienced at one (or many) points in our lives.
A Minister of Loneliness has been appointed in the United Kingdom to address social isolation across all age groups. Loneliness has been aligned with so many mental illnesses that it may itself be one of the most widely-spread mental ailments of all time.
Being lonely is depressing; in fact, it can be both the cause and result of depression.
We don’t really talk about it.
It takes a certain strength to speak about loneliness, and you don’t have that strength if you are lonely.
Loneliness is easy; you can do it all by yourself.
But you don’t need to be alone to be lonely. You can easily feel alone in a city full of strangers, or with a small group of friends, anywhere, or any time.
I have been lonely, in different stages, at different times in my life. It feels lonely just to write it down, but you cannot address a personal issue unless you are prepared to admit to it.
Loneliness is a state of mind, a sign of the times, and can be one of the greatest conundrums. Not always emptiness, loneliness can be the result, or the cause, of anxiety. Loneliness can take you deep inside your mind, or your mind can lead you to loneliness.
Fear of being alone can only make you lonelier, the effects felt from the brain through the body.
It is confusing.
In a world where there are more people than ever; at a time when communication is more accessible, (if not instant), the state of loneliness has never been more present. Still, loneliness is one of those topics many people will not speak about.
Overcoming loneliness cannot be as simple as simply saying ‘find a friend’, or ‘talk about it’, but it can be a start.
Let’s talk.
Let’s see.
Know when the feeling isn’t right, and begin there.
©2017 j.g. lewis
Only the lonely
Know the way I feel tonight
Only the lonely
Know this feelin’ ain’t right
-Roy Orbison
Speaking less than
we listen, talking
only to fill
silence,
we misinterpret
misunderstandings.
Never saying
what we mean,
meaning less and
less and less
until
we no longer
understand. Nor
do we try.
01/30/2018 j.g.l.
Posted on January 29, 2018 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment
At times your vision is blurred.
Your thoughts howl with the velocity of uncertainty.
Sometimes the going gets tough, or you become stuck in traffic on the way to where you need to be.
You stall, or may have to pull over and get your bearings, but you know, deep down, that you need to keep moving forward.
Yes, the weather, your wisdom or wherewithal, may slow impair your efforts.
A detour may send you off in the wrong direction, but you do have the capability of turning yourself around and getting back on track.
You know how to do it, and may need to be reminded from time to time, but you will get there.
Keep trying.
You are not here to watch life pass you by.
You are here to continue moving at the speed of life.
01/29/2018 j.g.l.
