Isolation

I was watching a video clip where someone spent a week without interacting with anyone else. Basically he stayed alone in his apartment and had no electronic communication either. By the end of it he was going nuts. Apparently, most people don't do well with isolation.

A few years ago I struck up a conversation with a guy working on his dinghy on the beach. I complemented him on the quality of his fiberglass work, real professional. The guy was working part time, off the books, doing glass work for a marina. One of the reasons he wasn't working full time was because of his prison record.

Okay . . .

It all started when he was away from his boat for a couple weeks. In his absence the town declared his boat derelict, impounded it, then had it crushed and sent to the landfill. When this guy got back and discovered everything he owned was destroyed, he flipped out. Punches were thrown. He was sentenced to three months in prison.

The guy was not a model prisoner. Soon he ended up in solitary confinement, which suited him just fine. He spent the rest of his sentence there. As a sailor, he enjoyed many weeks on long passages alone, and loved it. Being alone is prison was preferable to dealing with the general population.

Personally, I enjoy time alone now and then. One spring I spent a week hiking alone in the mountains and did not see another person the whole time. It was a great way to clear my head and get some serious thinking done. After my little adventure I made some important life decisions. The time alone was very good for me.

Everyone is wired differently. Some go nuts, some have a relaxing vacation.

-Sixbears