It occurred to me this morning, while Daisy and I were having coffee (I’ll explain that in a minute), that it might be fun to offer up a little “Day in the Life” narrative about this whole “Hermit” thing… At least as it relates to my particular ways of living the Hermit lifestyle I have chosen for myself. And it is important that I assert as strongly as I can that the idea of being a Hermit is truly an individual choice bringing with it as many different variations and combinations as there are the countless numbers of people that have chosen this way of life.
To be sure, it is easy enough to conjure up a mental image of the stereotypical version of a Hermit; crusty, cranky, and unbathed antisocial creatures have been well enough portrayed in countless movies, and those people are to be accepted – not mocked, judged, or impugned – for who they are and the lives they have chosen to live. Not many of us would intentionally choose such a lifestyle, especially the unbathed part, but wanting to be left the hell alone to live our lives as we see fit is something everyone wants but few actually put in the effort to pursue and achieve. In large part, this is because, as human beings, we are naturally social creatures, and we find it difficult to be in total isolation from the rest of humanity for any lengthy period of time.
The opposite is true in the case of we Hermits. Whatever event, or series of events, leads us to the water’s edge between hectic and chaotic lives and the peaceful serenity and solitude into which we dip that first toe, it is the promise of escape that pushes us to dive headlong into the sea of self-isolation from Humanity and offers no empty promise about whatever comes after. Life, as it has been since we first stood upright 300,000 years ago, is what you make of it.
So… About that morning coffee with Daisy:
