Missives from the Hinterlands

For the most part, I don't give being alone much thought. The days pass too quickly and there's too little time to consider anything beyond the next step. However, occasionally something happens that throws the emptiness into stark focus. It can be a stray note or smell or the way the light plays in a strange woman's hair, and, when it happens, the ache makes me catch my breath.

People don't need others to be complete. The "perfect person" is one of the most damaging concepts in society's mythology. However, there's a biological, primal need for companionship that cannot be ignored or completely controlled, and I hate that I don't know what to do with it.