Swallowed by the sounds of the herd, I build an igloo

We are social creatures. I’ll accept that, and not just begrudgingly. I love people, and I want to be part of society, but sometimes the sounds of the herd steal me from myself. I get distracted. I forget who I am. Even when I’ve been focused in pursuit of my mission in life, the loud grunts of the herd can pull my attention away. I might even be lured into the collective frolic, the hustle and bustle of feeling busy. There’s nothing wrong with feeling busy. It’s just that your business is not my business to do. I don’t want to be a mindless follower, heeding the lead of those around me. The things I do, the things I eat, the places I go, the people I meet have to be of my choosing. I have to get straight with myself. I can’t be defeated by the collective whims around me, nor can I judge others for doing so, for such is their choosing, and if they want, they can.

And even when I do decide to emerge from my cave, and join the others, I still have to be surrounded by my own solitude. I must exchange my cave for an igloo that I encapsulate myself in, everywhere, for the gazes of the herd can sometimes pierce my being. The igloo protects me, but through its translucent walls, I can still see the world around me so that I am not swallowed up in my own solipsism, for that would be just as blinding as blindly following the herd.