Isolation

In our travels we talked to a couple of people that were traveling or had been traveling in their RV alone.  We listened to their stories and concluded that being alone does not necessarily equate to loneliness.  One gentleman had lost his wife to cancer and was using the trip to regroup.  The traveling was very therapeutic, and he said he was enjoying the company of others that he met at the various campgrounds. Another was just single (didn’t tell us why) and was enjoying life on the road.  He had sold everything that didn’t fit in the RV and took off.  He was happy being free of anchor responsibilities and relating to those he meets on the road.

There are many times when we feel isolated from God or our community.  This doesn’t need to be a bad thing.  We need to seek out opportunities for random conversations or chance meetings.  Sometimes the messages we hear or the lessons we learn will be beneficial for our health or attitude.

During these travels I have made it a point to say hi to most of the people I see.  One campground employee was grateful for the smiling face because of the numerous complaints she had heard.  A park ranger was grateful for a compliment because of the repetitive and tiring day they had had.  Another ranger was excited that we recognized his accent (he was from Maine) and enjoyed a one minute conversation about home.  A lady with a dog appreciated my offer to take her picture.  She was deaf and hadn’t had much contact with others.

I’m traveling with Lisa, so I’m not alone.  But there are others that need one minute of social contact.  Be active and reach out, and if you feel alone, wait just a minute, someone like me will be along soon.