"There is a time for departure even when there's no certain place to go.” ~ Tennessee Williams
In a journal he kept of his Greenlandic expeditions, Knud Rasmussen quoted an Inuit shaman as saying that all true wisdom is only to be found far from the dwellings of man, in the great solitudes. The romantic in me fancies this to be true, the pragmatist laughs and thinks that three years roaming around the edges of Greenland isn't going to get anyone's washing done. And you can find, Mr. Shaman, a surprising amount of wisdom in washing.
Still. Sometimes my yearning for that kind of silence grows so strong it becomes painful. I am no more likely to leave my family than Knud was likely to stay home with his, so where are the places, I wonder, for people like me?
The only kind of answer I have found so far is inside the small solitudes. The books, the journals, the wanderings of the imagination. A solo meal. Time with my camera. Whether these things will remain enough, I have my doubts, but they are, at the very least, a great point for departure.
Those small solitudes can go so deep. My God, you write beautifully.
Posted by: sarah haliwell | July 09, 2009 at 04:14 PM
They'll do for now, while family come first, then other solutions will fill the gaps...
Another thoughtful, thought-provoking post. Thank you.
Posted by: christine | July 09, 2009 at 08:14 PM
someday people will be quoting you, you know?!
Posted by: Zelia | July 09, 2009 at 09:25 PM
I love the idea of small solitudes - and cherishing them while we tend to our other responsibilities. Thank you for this.
Posted by: Katie | July 10, 2009 at 02:07 AM
I was needing a bit of solitude last night, in the middle of Ikea, with the whole family, at about 8:40pm.
But no joking, Megan, this is so beautiful: those little solitudes are not luxuries, they are necessities.
Posted by: Tara Thayer | July 10, 2009 at 03:36 AM
As much as I love my girls, and try to enjoy as much of their company as I can, I do often dream of the mornings when they have moved out.I can imagine the solitude of waking and not speaking for aslong as I like. Bliss. Definitely worth the heartache I'm sure their leaving home will bring.
Posted by: Kristy | July 10, 2009 at 08:20 AM
Indeed, that is a good point for departure. And sometimes, for me, solitude can come even with just the thought of being away from it "someday". Dangerous thought perhapss, but then again, most of the time getting "away" in reality is not always possible.
I believe that is why there are clouds and warm breezes. They bring other places with them, and I never have to move an inch.:)
Posted by: Heather | July 10, 2009 at 12:14 PM
Oh Kristy. I know what you mean about dreaming of the day those children fly the coup. Living with dependent adults of my household is much harder than raising them as children.
Posted by: katiecrackernuts | July 10, 2009 at 01:11 PM
ahhh...yes...Megan...small solitudes can be the best...
Posted by: theresa/t does wool | July 10, 2009 at 01:13 PM
Really beautifal today. Comings and goings, torn between the two.
Posted by: Kristina | July 10, 2009 at 03:03 PM
I stay up too late, just because it's quiet....I'd really like to change this to MORNINGS ;-) and my husband tells me that I would be sooooo much happier just getting up at 5 a.m. ha-ha-ha.
It's adaptation that has made me happy with the little "fixes" along the way. But, I know what you mean -- I want to be alone without it being permanent.
Actually, I'd just be happy if my three cherubs could go one day without arguing.
So, what is in that delicious-looking cup and is it food or coffee? It must be coffee-food. ;-)
Posted by: Tanya | July 11, 2009 at 05:02 AM
i'd say we should ditch our broods for a week and head off to some moody woods together, but the together part might defeat the purpose, eh?
still, i feel you. without realizing it, i seek out small solitudes as well...so thank you for framing (with your signature poignancy) this visceral need for quiet spaces.
Posted by: nic | July 11, 2009 at 05:11 AM
Hello Megan
Yes, I know how you feel - and I too, tend to find tiny moments of solitude immensley beautiful, and its generally the simple things that create those moments...a coffee sitting on the back step, ironing the laundry - the reality of ditching our lives and leaving our families behind to search for solitude, whilst a temptation, is too painstaking to begin to truly contemplate.
With love
Julia xxx
Posted by: Julia | July 12, 2009 at 12:38 AM
Wonderful! I know those feelings.
Posted by: claudia | July 21, 2009 at 05:38 PM
I return to this post often to remind myself that I can create fragments of peace in the noise of everyday.
Posted by: Alice C | October 12, 2009 at 02:52 AM