Saturday, April 09, 2011

Hermit Dreams

As far as I'm concerned, the word 'hermit' gets a bad rap. What's wrong with wanting to hide away; shun society and all its little irritations?

Working from home each day-- with little contact with the outside world (street crazies aside) -- people often ask me how I can stand to be alone so much for the time. The answer? I love it. I love having my own mental space to think, to create, to dream. I love not being interrupted, and most of all, I love the silence. I'd happily withdraw to a cave in the side of a hill and eke out my life eating snails (with garlic and wine).

Okay, so I'm exaggerating a bit. I'd miss Mr TR, of course, and chatting to my friends. But all it takes is one shunt on the Tube in close contact with another sweaty commuter, and my cavewoman dream doesn't seem so far-fetched.

What about you? Do you dream sweet hermit dreams? Have a great weekend!

77 comments:

  1. Ohmigosh - i totally connect with you on this one. My family's nickname for me is 'The Hermit'. And I like being that way. I hate having to drag myself out of my comfort zone cave.(I wouldnt eat snails though...my cave would be stocked wth vanilla ice cream and red jello.)
    Enjoy your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm the complete opposite. I love to have people around me, even when writing. I find I work better in a library or other communal work space. If I give extended periods at home, alone, my personality actaully changes a little and I begin to get a bit whimsical and random when I am around people again!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, yes. I'd be right there in the cave with you, if that didn't defy the purpose. I love my me-time, and cursed be anyone that takes it away from me. Even if it is my dear, beloved family that I adore spending time with... I'm currently so starved for proper aloneliness that I seriously consider renting a hotel room for a couple of nights, just so I can sit there without anyone bothering me (okay, I'm not SERIOUSLY considering it, but that's a money issue not a social issue...)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've worked at home for about nine years now and there are major upsides, but not having anyone to speak to all day means that my poor wife suffers at least an hour of non-stop babble from me as soon as she walks through the door!

    There are other weirdnesess too, like struggling to speak on the phone because the person who has called you is the first person you've spoken to for seven hours!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the solitude of being a writer -and it's easier to go out and find company than it is to escape from close contact that's been forced on you by circumstances.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great idea. I used to hate my own company for long periods of time, but now I enjoy it and have lots of ways that I can fill the solitude. :O)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi,

    How did you guess? That's me! I can lock the main gates and no one can get past to motor down the driveway. The postie has his own box, and delivery men toot horns if necessary to alert the hound. Best of all, my nearest neighbours (farmers)are two and three fields distant! Pure bliss!!!!

    best
    F

    ReplyDelete
  8. I couldn't agree more. The best part of being a writer is being able to lock yourself away from the world. Let's hear it for the hermits!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think I already live like one! LOL. I love hermit life. So nice not having to report to anyone!

    Jessica @ The Alliterative Allomporph

    ReplyDelete
  10. Talli,
    I am so with you there...the days just glide by when I'm at home accompanied by silence; ahhhh!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Definitely, yes! I love my quiet, alone time.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I definitely need my space. But I need people too...a healthy mix of both I guess. If I don't have enough alone time I get cranky. Everyone is happier if I get a little space on a regular basis.

    ReplyDelete
  13. In the words of the bestest and most iconic of Hermits that ever lived:

    "I vant to be alone".

    :-) Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love my own company. Not sure about the cave idea, especially not the eating snails bit!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I homeschool my kids and I love being with them most of the time, but those rare moments when I can be a hermit are really cherished.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love being a hermit, I get just enough of others at work and the stables, but then I can come home, lock the door and be in my own world, wonderful :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I could stay in and it wouldn't worry me in the least, but living alone one has to eat.

    Have a good week-end.
    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hermit does get a bad rap. There's nothing like alone time.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

    ReplyDelete
  19. After a long stressful day at work alone time is welcoming, but I don't think I could be a hermit! Although, I do like being alone with myself, but I do need to get out and do stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yeah, I definitely like being home alone and left alone!! After working for myself for several years, I do not miss the workplace drama at all!! I listen to others complain about so and so and I am so happy to not have that crap!

    ReplyDelete
  21. So recognisable, especially after I replaced 'snails' with chocolate! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I too could be a hermit. As it is I'm definitely a recluse. Don't know if that's bad or good, but I've been this way most of my life.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hermit how lovely you are. I wish I had one day, just one day to be truely alone!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hey Talli ~~ my first visit to your blog ! I prefer the solitude of my own company , although I can and do socialise on quite a big scale (it's work-related , though ...)
    I have always been more of an introvert than extrovert .

    ~MICHELLE~
    http://writer-in-transit.co.za/category/other/rambles-rants-and-raves/

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh honey, I didn't leave my house yesterday and it was heaven! I think because I normally have so much contact with people through work, I really relish days of solitude.

    ReplyDelete
  26. As a jr. high teacher, I'm overwhelmed by noise and human interaction every day. So when I have a Saturday like today to be a hermit and write and drink vanilla chai lattes, I relish it.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I'm *so* with you on this one. Give me a quiet afternoon in my house any day of the week.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I agree with you! I'm not a fan of crowds. Even when it's a crowd of friends/loved ones, after a while, I need my quiet, my alone time.

    I could easily be a part time hermit/recluse. Yep, that would be me-the reclusive crazy cat lady who writes weird stuff and has tons of money, ha!

    ReplyDelete
  29. ...as writers we all need to be comfortable with "hermit time." One simply can not ink the next Pulitzer, while inviting the neighborhood over for nightly drinks and gossip:)

    EL

    ReplyDelete
  30. I work with 30 children every day and there are certainly many moments when I would love to be locked away by myself.

    I also just wanted to say, I bought 24 Hours London and it has been a great help with my A-Z Challenge on my London blog, Girl About Town...thank you :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. This is so great :) I'm definitely a hermit. Thanks for sticking up for hermithood!

    Sarah Allen
    (my creative writing blog)

    ReplyDelete
  32. i would be a hermit at the drop of a hat :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. I'm with you! I have my random times when I really want to go out and have a few cocktails, but for the most part I love to be by myself. Solitude is a beautiful thing.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I absolutely dream hermit dreams! Don't get me wrong, I love people and interacting with them but like you, I enjoy my time a lot. It might be a writer pre-requisite. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  35. Actually - no. People probably think I like to be alone, but I don't. Fortunately, there are plenty of people in my house. ~Miriam

    ReplyDelete
  36. I prefer to hide at home as well.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I'm a happy hermit too. It's good! As long as I venture outdoors once in a while otherwise I lose the ability to speak to other humans, hehe.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Some of my best days are spent at home in my pajamas or in a robe. Gosh do I sound old! Julie

    ReplyDelete
  39. Silence is golden! I love being a hermit. You nailed it when you wrote the no interruptions part. I used to love that when I worked from home a few years back.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I completely understand, Talli! The world is great and all, but home is where it's at.

    ReplyDelete
  41. I love my alone time when I am writing. But I am SO a people person and need human contact often. Right now I'm still in Florida, the person I stay with is out of town on business and I'm alone. I don't know anyone here except a few of her friends, but they have their lives. So I feel a bit lonely..... BUT then I visit my blogging buddies and all is well again.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Oooer, I like this one Tally!
    I'm the biggest hermit and my trouble is, I have to MAKE myself get out and about.
    My hubby thinks it's not normal. But I like my own company and on occasions when the family/noise gets too much, I crave to be alone.


    There's a huge difference between solitude and being lonely.

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  43. Teaching requires me to interact with other people, but working with students in the classroom is the best part of the job. But I also like working on my graduate research and fiction writing on my own; a lot of the time I prefer solitude because then I can do what I want when I want. I also happen to get easily annoyed by other people on a regular basis. :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. I like people. I even like socializing :) but I prefer solitude. I'm never lonely. So many people confuse the two. Solitude is heaven!

    ReplyDelete
  45. I'm an extrovert, and I love being around people, but I work from home one day a week, and I love my chance to hermit it up!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Considering all those who agree (myself, included), we may actually be a world of too much closeness and non-stop communication that makes us dream of time, alone, if we don't have it. I worked from my home my entire business life and wouldn't have traded it for the world... good post.

    Hello, fellow A-Z Challenger! Here's my latest entry. Come visit either of my blogs when you can and leave some comment love:

    H is for Hospitals in the A-Z Blogging Challenge

    http://rockinchairreflections.blogspot.com (A-Z)
    http://www.mainstreamsolarcooking.com
    Twitter: @SolarChief

    ReplyDelete
  47. I'm with you...100%. I used to think I was a bit of a misfit until I read "Party of One--The Loners' Manifesto" by Anneli Rufus. Now I'm not only independent...but proud of it.

    ReplyDelete
  48. I am a hermit once or twice a week. I need that time.

    ReplyDelete
  49. When I'm trying to write I wish I could be a hermit and get away from all the kid/hubby related distractions. But I also love my job working with kids all day.

    ReplyDelete
  50. I like having alone time too. I love being with people, but I can't be surrounded by people all the time. It zaps my energy. I need some time to collect my thoughts and be by myself to rejuvenate!

    ReplyDelete
  51. My tarot reading suggest I need to be a hermit for a while to accomplish my goals. Since one of them is to finish this A-Z challenge, AND try to read many fab blogs, like yours, it's dead-on!

    It's rough having to interact with peops on THEIR sched, whether we're in the mood or not, but... gotta deal with it, at least for now. Thanks for a cool post.

    ReplyDelete
  52. I like my Me time; If I don't get it, well then I'm the bear in the cave~ I can so relate! Pass the garlic~

    ReplyDelete
  53. I agree! I enjoy being at home, I wouldn't want to shut myself off from the world entirely, but I do love the days when I have no place to be, even better when I have 2 or 3 in a row.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Oh man, I love being a hermit. I'm happy in my space, with my computer, my cats, and my books. I can only stand so much of a crowd before I'm ready to retreat.

    ReplyDelete
  55. OMG. I am so a hermit. Of course, working in a busy supermarket does push one towards solitude!

    Ellie Garratt

    ReplyDelete
  56. I totally agree - silence is golden! Working from home is the BEST thing that's ever happened, and proved to be my most contructive and creative advantage over my previous 9-5 existence. Until, that is, my little daughter Emma arrived 3 weeks ago. Silence shattered.... Need a cave of my own now! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  57. I know exactly what you mean - as long as I was allowed to take a Gaggia with me, I'd be there!!!

    I love long periods of silence, crave them in fact... but rarely get them - I can't stand crowds... Have a fab weekend
    Lx

    ReplyDelete
  58. I am an introvert, and I do best alone. My husband and my son are all the stimulation I can take these days. If I won the lottery I would probably never leave my house again. I would just have everything brought to me!

    ReplyDelete
  59. These days I've been dreaming about being home alone writing, while everyone else is at work and school. So yes, I am a part-time hermit too.

    ReplyDelete
  60. So jealous of the gorgeous day you had yesterday! I love being a hermit too, but I wonder - especially since you've taught - how do you handle the promotional side of authorship? I'm terrified of standing up in front of crowds!

    ReplyDelete
  61. I kind of think I'm something of a hermit... there are certainly days when I'm isolated from others.

    ReplyDelete
  62. I'm a hermit for a good part of the day. And I love being outside. Bur as a writer much of my time is spent plopped down on my bum typing away.

    ReplyDelete
  63. I'm so jealous. My fantasy is to live alone in a shack by the beach and bum around and do what I like (something most women don't get to do as we're always 'nurturing' someone.) My reality's not too bad either but a bit crowded at times and always on call.

    Denise<3

    L'Aussie Travel Blog A-Z Challenge I is for Ibiza

    ReplyDelete
  64. I work from home and love it too. The only thing that bugs me is the phone ringing with sales calls. I've stopped answering the phone at all. But it still nags at me in the background.

    ReplyDelete
  65. I also love being by myself. So working from homw is a dream come true for me!

    ReplyDelete
  66. I 100% agree with you!

    When I lived in the States my fave thing to do on my day off was take a book to the beach, and when I'd tell people the next day they'd be incredulous that I'd even dream of doing such a thing on my own. I love having the day to myself and although sometimes I miss working 9-5 (not very often mind you; mainly things like the office Christmas party!) I will never ever go back unless I have to.

    When people say they can't stand their own company, I think, "Maybe they're not as good company as me!" ;-D

    ReplyDelete
  67. There are only a couple of things that I enjoy more than time alone to write or think about writing. Of course, without the time alone I wouldn't be able to enjoy the other things as much as I do :) because I'd be too busy fighting my compusion to write.

    ReplyDelete
  68. I completely agree, particularly since my house is loud, loud, loud when my kids are home!

    ReplyDelete
  69. I'm totally the same; definitely a hermit! I love my own space, peace and quiet, just having me to worry about.

    CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  70. I'm a proud hermit (freelancer) and wouldn't trade it for the world (sweaty commuters, ew). :)

    ReplyDelete
  71. I'm an occasional hermit, and don't mind being one. And if you internet, being a temporary hermit can be heaven!

    ReplyDelete
  72. I absolutely agree! Give me a writing cave with internet access and coffee and I'm thrilled!

    ReplyDelete
  73. I love the hermit life. DH potters in an out, but on the whole, I am left alone.

    ReplyDelete
  74. I love my alone time. I don't usually get a whole lot of it, so it makes me appreciate it (and your post) all the more.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Um - you've just described how I love to live, I can quite happily close the door and not speak to anyone for ages, it doesn't feel lonely to me - it comes naturally to me ... provided I have internet access of course (now that I couldn't live without *I don't want to think about it* lol :)

    ReplyDelete

Coffee and wine for all!