Are You Lonely?

I actually have had this on my thoughts for a while but really didn’t want to talk about it until this day.

I just finished watching a program on “SOCIAL ISOLATION” and realised that much as we like to pretend that we are surrounded by friends and family, in the main a lot of people are really lonely, very lonely.

A 12 year old boy told his story of how his father walked out on his family on his 6^th birthday- (the man had driven off that morning telling the boy that he would be back in time for his birthday, his mum had prepared the birthday cake and set the table and they were all waiting for the man of the house, but he did not come back, they lost their appetite and the birthday was cancelled and the man has not shown up since that day six years ago. The boy looks for his father whenever he sees an adult man and this has contributed to making him feel very lonely even in the midst of his friends.

A number of other people are very lonely in a world that is brimming with people from diverse backgrounds because of limitations placed on them by the Society.

Quite a number of factors could contribute to the loneliness that people experience, such things like death, gossip, blackmail, being at the top, possessing so much wealth, social rejection e.t.c.

It is funny how we struggle to amass wealth and then find out when we have “arrived” that we are really very lonely because we no longer can distinguish if any actually wants our company for our sakes or for the sake of our wealth.

Stories have been told of stupendously rich men who had so many friends and acquaintances but who became outcasts when nature dealt them a hard blow and their wealth was gone because no friend was there again to touch them even with a long pole.

It is only when you have encountered adversity that you would really know who your genuine friends are. And if you ask me, in your life time, you would be lucky to have just one person who genuinely loves you and would be friends with you whatever life throws spanners at you.

If you are occupying an office and a lot of hangers on around you shout your praise, take it in but remember that when that office is gone, those persons shall shift their gaze to the next occupant of that office. Examples abound.

Fair-weather friends always fly away with the winds

Loneliness has contributed to a lot of social nuisance and crime. Depression, despondency, hypertension, raised cholesterol level, chronic Heart disease, have all been related to loneliness.