In the absence of community, we find ourselves alone. These spaces of solitude and stillness can become a place of rebirth or a place of destruction. In some ways, loneliness is necessary for community because it generates gratitude and appreciation of our closeness to others. In other ways, loneliness becomes the antithesis of community when in its most destructive form spurs selfish individualism that prohibits us from joining and contributing to those around us. Time alone looks different to everyone. For some it is those moments in our homes, listening to music, reading books, journaling, meditating, creating. For others, it can be sitting in a crowded place with no one to share a conversation. Without community we find ourselves alone to our thoughts, devices, and habits.
