Loneliness

I spent a couple hours on Main St. in Huntington Beach. There are always people there from many different walks of life. I see people handling loneliness in many different ways. A lot of people drink and socialize to cover their loneliness, but you can tell there is not a deep connection with the person they are with. Other people look sad and are sitting alone. Many people who are alone are smoking and standing near others, but not interacting. I overheard one conversation of a very pretty girl talking with her friends about being lonely. She also explained she had recently been dating two other people, but those relationships ended and now she was lonely. She asked her friends to help find her a new man and said she was ready to go prowl. Listening to her talk, I got the impression that finding another man would not solve her problem. She would still be lonely.


The saddest part of my day was listening to that beautiful girl rationalize these meaningless relationships. It left me with the impression that she would spend a lot of time searching for a relationship that she wasn't ready for. I believe there is some truth in the old saying that no one can fully love you until you love yourself. On another note, this experience made me realize the value of just saying "Hi, how are you?". You may not be able to solve the loneliness of another, but you might make a small difference in their life just by taking the time to say hello. You might even discover you have a lot in common and make a new friend. It has been quite some time since I truly felt lonely, but it was a very depressing feeling. Feeling alone is awful. If you see someone you that appears to be lonely, say hello. Strike up a conversation. Be a positive influence in the life of another. It could benefit you both.