To those who haven't read "To Kill a Mockingbird": it's not a how-to manual; instead, it teaches us not to judge a man by the colour of his skin. But getting back to Boo Radley, like him I like being alone and have sometimes wanted to join Loners Anonymous but they don't meet very often.
Human beings have been around for two and half million years. For most of this time we lived either alone or with just a few others, foraging for plants and stalking prey. This is who we really are.
For the past week I've been alone in the quiet house, reading books, and occasionally foraging through the back of the pantry for something I can add to my savoury mince. This is who I really am.
Liking to be alone is not only an acquired taste but also an acquired skill because silence can be mystical and, if you dare, diving into your inner depths can be both profound and disturbing (and very profitable to your psychiatrist).
And while the house is a testament to my runaway consumerism, what I crave most, apart from being alone with myself, is simplicity and free-dom from clutter. I still remember the years I lived in hotel rooms and out of a suitcase. I would get slightly panicky if I had accumulated more than the bare minimum and do some quick 'trial-packing' to ensure it all still fitted into the one suitcase.
Anyway, before the neighbours call me Boo Radley, I will make a foray into town to restock the pantry and talk to someone other than myself.
