Introducing “Comment of the Week”

I’ve said many times, this site would not be what it is, and not be on its way to what I hope it will become, without your active participation. It’s the community here that really makes it, and I’m really grateful for all your insightful, funny, hopeful, and provocative comments — so much so, that I decided to highlight your words once a week in a new feature called “Comment of the Week.” This week’s honor goes to prolific commenter, “Fast Eddie,” who had this moving comment on the post about loneliness:

While I was sailing up and down the west coast (San Francisco to Mexico) there were 3-4 days at a stretch with no other living thing on the boat. This called “single handing”. At day 3 the seagulls started talking to me and the next day I answered them. OK, I’m kidding but the loneliness was very real. The only human contact I had was via the HAM radio for a few minutes a day. That situation is different then being in the work-a-day world where you can go to a coffee shop and strike up a conversation 24/7.

Living alone is a skill and I was good at it. The decor was my taste and the menu my choice. Now being married everything’s a compromise but when she’s gone for a few days the walls start to move inward. I don’t know if it’s specifically her or just human company that I miss during those times.

Decades ago I was in a relationship with a wonderful woman who died while I was holding her hand. I still miss her very specifically and likely always will.