Sometimes, the weight of loneliness hits me - a strange realization, I confess, given the thousands of connections I'm surrounded by. On Twitter, LinkedIn, via email or even the daily texts with close ones, I am part of a massive, interconnected web. I have people in my life who love me, who care about me, and I am fortunate for that. Yet, there are moments when I feel completely alone.
What's puzzling is that I have these feelings despite being a well-connected individual, who enjoys the safety net of a stable job. But then again, job security is a flimsy concept these days. My livelihood is tethered to the unpredictable fluctuations of a token price, trading whimsically in an open market.
This precariousness extends into my personal relationships too. Would my colleagues still see me the same way if I was laid off? Would their warm smiles cool? The idea of potentially losing these connections instills a deep sense of fear in me.
And as I navigate my feelings, I can't help but wonder about the millions of other people grappling with similar feelings. In particular, those in the West, where there's a hunger for community and belonging, a craving for a shared sacred space that's rooted in authenticity, not in the transactional underpinnings of a corporation.
The digital landscape is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it provides us with the means to build these expansive networks, but on the other, it reminds us that we don't truly own these connections. They're built on land we don't own, and they're fragile, at best.
So how do we combat this loneliness? How do we fill this void? I believe the answer lies in community - a community that isn't built on commercial interests, but on a shared, deeper, more spiritual purpose.
A community where your worth isn't determined by your financial contributions to the global economy, but rather, by your sincere contributions to the community itself. A place where you are valued for who you are, not for what you bring to the table in material terms.
Because at the end of the day, it's not about how many connections you have, or how much you're worth. It's about being part of something greater than yourself, something meaningful and enduring. That's the path to feeling less lonely, at least for me.
It's not an easy path to create this community I yearn so badly for, but it's one worth walking.