Lone Time

Lake Overholser, Oklahoma

I think I know why I have been in a funk lately.  I haven't spent long quiet lonely hours in nature this summer.  Instead, I holed myself up in the house every evening watching something on hulu.com or packing and unpacking.  I haven't spent much time outside photographing nature, have entirely me time.  I noticed that was a phase I took on during my second year in Berea, usually lasting a month or almost two.  When I first realized this, I was talking with a friend who does something similar but during Winter and moreso into books, but more sociable in late Spring and part of Summer. I recognized that in June or July I would go for long meandering walks, music playing, spend hours on trails in the woods with or without a camera, and always alone.  Call it meditative alone-ness, call it me time, call it whatever you will, but I think I missed it this Summer and I realize now that is why I have been facing a major funk (in addition to some other stress-inducing and emotional stuff).  A funk that has felt like a sink-hole depression.

So, Saturday during the day I am going to heal.  I have some obligations that evening, but I will get up Saturday and Sunday and go away from the city and be in some rural space and realign myself with my being.  I hope it will help. And I will need to make more room for this the rest of October.... I don't want to know what my Winter will be like without this lone time.  So here we go.