One of my favourite personal pastimes & a great soul re-generator is the practise of solitude. Solitude is an interesting & I might say, lost art form. We live in an era where we can be more connected than any other time in history. An ever growing array of electronic media are hunting down the corners of the globe connecting people & places in real time.

We once walked to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko & about 80% of the people that were at the peak of the highest mountain in Australia pulled out their mobile phones & called someone. Hmmm. In this era of connectedness, I would like to put a question out there; ready? When has there ever been a time in history when we have been so connected, & yet anecdotally you would have to say, so alone?

I find that the practise of solitude, that is being alone rather than being lonely, to be one of the the most worthwhile pursuits that can fill my soul. To actually choose to be alone, to find a place to be alone, & to follow through with the act of being alone are a vital part of my survival strategy. To get into the habit of this can be difficult & can take some time to condition the spirit to get used to it; but like anything that is worthwhile, it is a process that is worth pursuing.

For me, it is a way that I can become still & find clarity in the confusion of all that is going on around me. One of my occupations sees me regularly driving long distances across Australia delivering concert systems for shows & events. I love the solitude of getting out on the road. On my first ever trip to Perth, I had no satellite phone, no 2 way radio in the truck & because I had an esky full of food & long distance fuel tanks there was one day where the only words I spoke out loud were “Coffee Please”. For 24 hours I was to all intents & purposes alone.

The great benefit of solitude for me is that it sharpens my thinking, it allows me to take stock of what is valuable, & most of all, it allows me time to meditate & pray; I find that as I enter into each journey, the restlessness of the long trip slowly gives way to a quietening of the spirit. I find it quite calm & peaceful. So much so that I often go many hours without any radio, c.d’s or other such distractions.

I really enjoy getting back into life at the end of it, but I find that the discipline of solitude gives me a great strength of the soul that I can draw upon.

Finally, you don’t have to get out & drive across Australia to achieve this; many’s the time where I have gone into the city armed with a notebook, taken a vow of silence for a few hours & just sat in a busy place, watching, thinking, praying, writing. Even in the busiest of places, we can become still.

MM

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