音频下载[点击右键另存为][00:00.87]Passage 29. Alone Again, Naturally

[00:07.76]Alone, we squander life by rejecting its full potential

[00:12.58]and wasting its remaining promises.

[00:15.98]Alone, we accept that experiences unshared are barely worthwhile,

[00:21.01]that sunsets viewed singly are not as spectacular,

[00:25.05]that time spent apart is fallow and pointless.

[00:28.89]And so we grow old believing we are nothing by ourselves,

[00:33.15]steadfastly shunning the opportunities for self-discovery

[00:37.30]and personal growth that solitude could bring us.

[00:40.81]We’ve even coined a word for those who prefer to be by themselves:

[00:45.29]antisocial, as if they were enemies of society.

[00:49.45]They are viewed as friendless, suspect in a world that goes around in twos or more

[00:55.47]and is wary of solitary travelers.

[00:58.53]People who need people are threatened by people who don’t.

[01:02.58]The idea of seeking contentment alone is heretical,

[01:06.74]for society steadfastly decrees that our completeness lies in others.

[01:11.77]Instead, we cling to each other for solace, comfort,and safety,

[01:16.37]believing that we are nothing alone—insignificant, unfulfilled, lost—

[01:22.16]accepting solitude in the tiniest, most reluctant of slices, if at all,

[01:27.85]which is tragic, for it rejects Gods precious gift of life.

[01:32.67]Ironically, most of us crave more intimacy and companionship than we can bear.

[01:39.01]We begrudge ourselves,our spouses,

[01:41.86]and our partners sufficient physical and emotional breathing room,

[01:46.35]and then bemoan the suffocation of our relationships.

[01:50.50]To point out these facts is not to suggest we should abandon all our close ties.

[01:56.84]Medical surveys show that the majority of elderly people who live alone,

[02:02.10]yet maintain frequent contact with relatives and friends,

[02:06.26]rate their physical and emotional well-being as “excellent.”

[02:10.74]Just as an apple a day kept the doctor away when they were young,

[02:15.45]an active social calendar appears to serve the same purpose now.