While this podcast is done as a team, most of the work the Gorilla Men do is done in solitude. This week, it’s all about alone time!
We kick it all off asking is we were okay playing alone when we were young. After that, we discuss times (and the desire for times) spent alone. Obviously, not everybody is as okay with solitude as we are — we ask if there’s an inherent loneliness in solitude before discussing if there is freedom in time spent alone.
With technology, on some level, it’s possible to always be connected. Social media, messaging, and other easy-to-use services can be great for those unable to venture into the world as easily as some, but there can also be a downside to always-on technology. We ask if there are benefits to disconnecting from an e-world — before going on to talking about solitude’s effect on creativity.
Solitude is not always voluntary: we spend some time discussing the negative effects of solitude. For those fortunate enough to be able to seek out solitude, they still often feel so overwhelmed by work, family, and tasks that they can’t find time to themselves. In a time when leisure time seems to be waning for so many people, we ask if solitude is more important than ever. It’s probably clear by now that the answer to that — for us — is that some degree of solitude is important. Then, Christopher asks what role solitude plays in subconscious thought, and Shawn asks if Christopher talks to himself when alone.
The general view of solitude is holing up alone in a room or cabin for a period of time, but we ask if solitude can be found with another person present…or even in a group. After that, we move on to talking about the biggest benefits of solitude before wrapping up with discussing how people can find solitude in a busy world.
We hope you’ll share your views about solitude in the comments, but more than that: we hope this episode gives you some time alone in your head after listening…maybe even helping you claim some time to yourself!
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Speaking of solitude, I thought you guys were taking a break, but I guess my subscription ran out or something. Happened with another podcast too. I get an error when I try to re-subscribe . .
Bizarre…I’ll have to check the feed to see what’s up with that. I haven’t had problems with the app I use for podcasts, but that doesn’t mean a thing!
As far as a break…I’m taking a break from social media and cutting way back on blogging, but Shawn is still online all over the place. Despite taking a [mostly] break from social media, we aren’t cutting back on podcasting at all. It’s reached a point where it’s almost an automatic process that we both enjoy; it doesn’t get in the way of writing for me or leave me wanting a break, like social media does.
As a kid, I had a few issues of Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth. I played alone quite a bit when I was young, and the thought of hanging out with animals and kind of living in a world that reminded me of Planet of the Apes was soothing in a weird way. I like people enough that being the last person no longer appeals to me, but…I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t miss a lot of people out there. It’s those other people that make me appreciate solitude all the more at times 😉
I uninstalled and attempted reinstall iTunes for the iTunes subscription option, but got a “Mobile Apple Device” error message. The really weird thing is I don’t even have a mobile Apple device. So, I’ll just remember (HAHA) to check back here for new episodes. 🙂
iTunes seems…dunno…I’ve always had hit and miss luck with it. And in my case, I used to use the iPod music podcast app on my phone, but they redesigned things and that got all weird. No idea if there was a recent upgrade to iTunes (I get a pop up saying there is, but it can be an older update I just haven’t done because iTunes seems to have become almost as annoying as the Acrobat update pop ups.) Rest assured, though…we are here, recording away! We recorded the one-year anniversary episode yesterday (Last Seen…Making the Damn Thing) and another episode about Entitlement.
As always: thanks for listening!
Love my solitude. I used to fantasize about being the only person left in the world. Still do sometimes.
It would be like a Ford truck commercial!
Sometimes I miss my insane vampire schedule, where it felt like I was the only person awake.
Yeah, driving my car on the empty country roads of Indiana was when I so pleasantly imagined I was the only person left in the world. But every ten minutes or so another car would come along, and I’d think, “Aw . . damn.” Now I’m reminded of the TV series “Life After People.” Love it. So relaxing.