During these Covid times, we solitudes are being asked to live into what we proclaim—that we love silence, solitude, and simplicity and sometimes like to be alone. I, for one, love the solitude I’ve been forced to experience recently. It doesn’t escape my notice, however, that having a car makes this easy to embrace because it offers me choice. I have the excuse to hop in the car and, with mask on, whip into the store for a quart of milk.
I have a widowed friend who makes it her practice to get out every day, sometimes for a walk, but usually out in the car. Another friend, who also lives alone, doesn’t have a car. She can walk into town, but is at the mercy of family, who are self-isolating, to leave her groceries on the back porch. No car choice!
It’s the car, Stupid! Remember that phrase? * The original word was ‘economy’ but we can substitute our own. When we have easy access to a car, we can love our solitude, because, and this is a big because, we have the choice to get away from it for a while.
*Coined by James Carville
I have a widowed friend who makes it her practice to get out every day, sometimes for a walk, but usually out in the car. Another friend, who also lives alone, doesn’t have a car. She can walk into town, but is at the mercy of family, who are self-isolating, to leave her groceries on the back porch. No car choice!
It’s the car, Stupid! Remember that phrase? * The original word was ‘economy’ but we can substitute our own. When we have easy access to a car, we can love our solitude, because, and this is a big because, we have the choice to get away from it for a while.
*Coined by James Carville