What a New Film has Taught Me About Loneliness

This evening I decided to go and see Spike Jonze's new film "Her", featuring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson and Rooney Mara. "Her" throws the viewer ahead in time into the life of Theodore, whose occupation is to write love letters for other people and appears to be extremely lonely. Without giving much of the plot away, Theodore begins to fall in love with an Operating System named Samantha voiced by Scarlett Johansson. It is during his time with Samantha that we see Theodore confront the issues of loneliness and unhappiness. I could write an entire post about this film because it truly is brilliant. Furthermore, I feel that "Her" is a film that everyone regardless of age should experience. However, the real topic of this article is my own take on loneliness and how I've learned to deal with it.

At one point or another, everyone will feel lonely. Although it's not always easy to admit, I've felt lonely myself. Regardless of why people feel alone, I believe it's very important to not let this kind of thing drag you down. One of the first things I've learned is that life isn't a perfect ride. Hearts can be broken and feelings will be hurt. Life most definitely brings forth bad experiences, but it also has good experiences. Instead of feeling alone every day for whatever reason, I focus on making each day valuable and memorable. We are only on this planet for a short period of time. I believe you shouldn't waste that precious time feeling alone and unhappy. I'd much rather make each day its own adventure and see who I meet along the way. Whoever or whatever it is your looking and hoping for, is out there somewhere. The real challenge is actually looking yourself.

"At the innermost core of all loneliness is a deep and powerful yearning for one's lost self." - Brendan Francis