What’s the most important thing in life? Lessons from Alone

Would you like a half a million dollars?
I would.
Fixated on Discovery’s Alone, I root for my favorite contestants. In one season, a man who had little to do with his family, who ignored his mother’s funeral for the adventure, who thought he needed no one, discovered otherwise.
To a finalist–the main motivation in their quest is not the money.

Oh, they all agree, a cool half-mil would change their lives. The prize motivates them to endure privation. But more than money, missing family, realizing how they cherish their wives or children or parents often cause contestants to quit.

Or persevere.
The man who needed no one yearned for his family. He rued the fact he ignored them. He understood the importance others played in his life.
What about you?

 

Have you quarreled over a pittance of inheritance (one friend’s brother cut him off because he didn’t get as much inheritance as he thought he deserved–I believe the end amount was about 4K. In over two months, he’s refused all contact with his brother.) Is $4,000 enough to never speak to someone who loves you? Would mourn your loss? Would run to your aid regardless of the situation?
Perhaps your family rightfully deserves to be ignored because of abuse toward you or criminal behavior or addiction. You need a friend, a husband/wife, a helper. We are not solitary creatures.
If COVID quarantines taught us anything, it’s we cannot live alone.

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 says it best. “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up! 11Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?…”

In Borrowed Lives, Meredith Jaynes’s family can aggravate beyond endurance. In the end … (Well read the book!)

4 Comments

  1. Teresa A Moyer says:

    I have no family left so as far as that goes I am alone. I never married or had kids so in that fact I am alone. I also live alone (no room mate) so yes I am alone. Being an introvert I do not mind alone UNTIL the isolation from COVID hit. I am hard of hearing and rely on seeing lips move. Masks took that away from me so that added to my alone. PTSD from me wearing a mask due to a childhood trauma also added to my alone. Society who did not care if I had anxiety wearing a mask and could no longer understand what people were saying added to my alone. Who knew that this would go on for the last 18 months. I use to like alone. Not anymore. I hate alone. I now crave to be face to face with someone. But COVID still keeps that from me due to the afore mentioned issues. They say we need human touch to survive and keep our sanity. Well i guess they need to study me as I am still sane without any human skin to skin touch for months on end. But maybe it is only because I am an introvert that I still have my sanity, or because of Zoom allowing me to see faces on my laptop and hear voices through the speakers. I just know when this is over this introvert will want to be in the presence of people like never before.

    • Carol McClain says:

      Teresa,
      I’m so sorry for your isolation.
      I, too, am an introvert. However, the isolation from quarantining about drove me insane.
      I’m grateful to zoom, also. I get to see people, even without being quarantined I couldn’t see.

  2. You said it best, Carol: “We are not solitary creatures.” Thank you for your insightful post. And thank you for writing BORROWED LIVES.

    • Carol McClain says:

      MaryAnn, thank you for your faithfulness. I often feel overwhelmed with things I need to do, then I see all you accomplish. It puts me to shame.

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