By Letitia Lee Linda, a junior, suffers from Friday Panic, constantly waiting for her cell phone to ring after she broke up with her boyfriend six months ago. Ken, a senior, curling up in the lab and indulging in his own studies all day long, wishes somebody to have dinner with on Christmas Eve. They have many expectations for love, wishing that someone would keep them company. But can they really get rid of loneliness just through an embrace? After being together with her boyfriend for eight months, Elaine keeps asking herself: is the boy or this the kind of life I’m really after, or do I just go with him because of loneliness. How about you? Are you lonely? In our modern, fast-paced society, you may find out that the faster you rush, the more lonely you become. Keener competition and a constant state of uncertainty make people want to turn to closer relationships. You want the holding of hands, to go to the movies with someone, or to have a person prepare a surprise party just for you. Tonight you want a friend to have a dinner with, but you can’t find one even after searching through the entire contact list in your cell phone. Yeah, sometimes you’re simply denying the fact that you’re lonely.
But fear not, you’re in good company. On a rainy Tuesday, over hot chocolate at Starbucks, Maggie opens her laptop, connects to the internet to talk to her “boyfriend” with whom she lives in her iPartment. Yesterday the couple just selected furniture for their apartment and decided to make preparations for Christmas. In their virtual apartment she has to water the flowers, decorate her room, and keep a diary every day, just like sharing a real-life home with her loved one. Actually, Maggie-types are everywhere today. For them, the online world is one place where they can have a sense of connection with someone else. Stepping out of Starbucks, you have many places where you can go to defeat loneliness. By mimicking the look and feel of your own living room, the 24-hour Eslite Bookstore encourages you to linger. There, whether indulging in the world of books, peeking at the chitchatting passers-by, or even spacing out, you can obtain a sense of safety. Look at the packed KTVs even on a typhoon day, or lounge bars where people crowd in after midnight. You’d also find that there are many people who carry voodoo dolls dressed as Cupid hoping to find their Mr. Right, and scores of lonely women who need pillows made in the shape of men’s arms to fall asleep every night. Experts say there are more and more people who experience the feeling of loneliness. You have plenty of ways to get over it, however. And have you ever thought that maybe it’s you who make yourself lonely? Remember the Bridget Jones problem: lots of men to date, none to come home to. The one who’s always seeking for her true love reminds the audience that the more fearful you are toward loneliness the more loneliness you’ll feel. Therefore, it seems to be true that independence has to come before love. Humming love songs as you ride your bike through campus, you’re being alone not lonely, discovering that it’s another lovely morning today. There’s no need to envy your buddies simply because they are involved in a romance; love will come when you’re not looking for it. Turn the next corner and Cupid may be there waiting for his target. Then let’s say goodbye to loneliness! a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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