It was all going so well. I had driven about 100 kms from our house in France en-route to London. I was listening to some soothing classics as I sipped a shake I had made in lieu of breakfast. A long day’s driving lay ahead but I love driving, particularly in Europe and I am used to the trip and know the way well. I was considering listening to a podcast and so I cast my eyes to the floor of the passenger seat where my IPad was. Well, where it supposedly was because it wasn’t. Instant panic. I looked over my shoulder to the back seat but I already knew with a heavy dread that I had left my overnight bag in the house and my IPad was inside the bag. I could have done without the change of clothes and my toiletries but not having my IPad for at least 6 weeks was definitely not an option. Next exit, a U turn and an extra 2 hours added to my journey. Why is it that when one has a calamity of sorts, one wants to call someone and gripe to them in the hope of eliciting some sympathy? The recipient of the call can’t really offer anything other than an empathetic ear – they can’t change the situation or rescue one but one feels a little better for sharing one’s story ( usually bigged up and somewhat exaggerated for dramatic effect ).
To go through life entirely alone , shouldering and weathering every storm without a single person that one can offload on or relate one’s hardships or experiences to must be horrendous. We are born to be in relationships and the lack of meaningful human contact must make life hardly worth living. Its hard to imagine what it must feel like and yet there are apparently millions ( particularly amongst the elderly ) who live their lives completely alone and cut off from society. Unless one is physically incapacitated or infirm , sure, one can have contact with others on a superficial level but how sustaining and meaningful can random contact with strangers be? Sharing with others is so comforting and therapeutic and a problem shared definitely lessens the burden. It behoves us all to reach out to others. We may never fully know how much a kind word or gesture made to a complete stranger may have been the most significant thing that happened to them for weeks. The adage, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, should be playing constantly in our heads because God forbid we should ever find ourselves in a similar position.
