simply because I need solitude
Terri Webster Schrandt

How Do You Find Solitude?

simply because I need solitude

“Solitude” is the theme for this week’s photo challenge hosted by Hugh’s Views and News. 

Featured in this photo is my daughter finding a moment of solitude on the beach surrounded by other swimmers. Lost in her own world, she simply sits in the wet sand enjoying the sun as waves roll back and forth over her feet. I have several photos of her over the years in this very position.

What brings you solitude and where do you look for it? As a “former” introvert, I needed quiet time and solitude to recharge my battery after a long day. This quote suggests that asking to be left alone may be off-putting to others around us.

Many of us bloggers are likely introverts by nature given the fact that we love to read and prefer to get lost in a good book, rather than talk about our feelings or spend time socializing.

It is possible to grow out of being an introvert. By the time I reached my mid-40s and experienced graduate school with a classroom of 20-30-something students, I relished the social connections made during evening classes. By the time classes got done at 9:00 pm, trying to go to sleep at a decent hour after being charged up with great classroom debate was difficult. In my previous introverted days, three hours of social debate and discourse would have exhausted me and bedtime would have been welcomed!

Although I classify as a mild extrovert according to Myers-Briggs Temperament Inventory, I still seek solitude in quiet places. I still get lost in a good book, and reading on the beach or in the mountains will take me into solitude quickly.

Temperament and personality assessment is a fascinating subject. Click on one of my old posts, “Brief Introductions to Temperaments” if you are interested.

And please feel free to join Hugh’s weekly photo challenges any time.

Where do you find solitude?

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27 comments

  1. Wonderful post Terri, I love your perspective on solitude and it’s a great photo of your daughter alone amid all the other swimmers. She looks perfectly content in her own company.

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  5. I think there are many degrees of introversion, probably just as there are for extroversion. I definitely consider myself an introvert, but I also enjoy being social. I recently read an article that, through a series of questions, pinpointed ones introversion along an X Y axis chart… it was really interesting. I love the picture of your daughter alone with her thoughts.

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  6. A great example of solitude, Terri. You daughter looks to be enjoying every moment of her solitude despite being surrounded by other people on the beach. I think the sound of waves also help in getting our minds to relax and to enjoy the moment. We should all take more solitude moments. I’m sure we’d all benefit greatly from it.

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  10. We are quite alike Terri! I love getting lost in a book and I find I need time alone to reflect and breathe. Some people feel that having solitude means you are lonely but that is far from the truth. Thank you for linking up with us at Over the Moon. I always enjoy your writing. xx

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  11. I love my walks with Zeke. Though I guess technically I am not alone, he doesn’t exactly disrupt my contemplations… My mind is set free to go where it will and I find myself re-connecting with me. Nothing better than solitude when we desire it!

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