Are you lonely?

It's not just living alone that can make one lonely. It makes me smile that underneath that legend stenciled high on the wall is a line of posters advertising club nights and bars, as if to say "Here, you don't have to be alone any more". But being lonely is about more than being alone. I am most lonely in crowds. That's where I feel most out of place. A misfit. I am more likely to feel the bitter pang of isolation surrounded by a mass of people than I would sitting at home on my own.

Loneliness can be a beautiful thing. As Henry Rollins once said, "loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better". Sometimes you need to feel the pain to appreciate the pleasure.