Over and Over and Over Again

I'm amused at how often themes pop up in a suspiciously repetitive way.  I'll read something about a personal inventory, for instance, and then the idea of looking closely at myself will show up in a few different sources from wildly varying disciplines.  I find with a close reading the Alcoholics Anonymous reveals itself to be quite repetitive.  Bill W and Doctor Bob knew alcoholics don't listen very well so they said the same few things over and over to make sure something sunk in.

To wit: "This is the time to talk kindly to ourselves.  When time begins to depress, some time alone is not a bad thing.  And there's nothing wrong with being alone.  Who is better company than we are?  Who is more important to our well-being?  Never say it is not worth the trouble to celebrate alone.  When we are good friends with ourselves, we are good for others.  Every person knows that it is important to enjoy a time of perfect solitude and celebration.  We need to know that when we all come together we will have something to offer - ourselves."  Cherokee Lady

And then right next door: "If we had been seeking strength through control over ourselves and others, we discover that was only a false version of strength, that truth and inherent strength appear in moments of deep silence and wholeness when we rest unshakably with things as they are."  Buddhist Dude

For a number of years I had as my company about six hundred and thirteen screaming, gibbering maniacs living in my head.  I found it almost impossible to be alone.  I would go to a meeting every  day after work and I would sit in the mall on Saturday just so I could be doing something.  I could not tolerate the silence.  Music was always playing.  I needed sound to drown out these idiots.  Today I'm happy to say that my life is - to my way of thinking - a healthy mix of people and no people.  Human beings are by nature social beings so time spent with others is healthy and normal.  Human beings by nature irritate the shit out of me most of the time so sitting quietly with myself is healthy and normal.  Too much time alone and I get jiggy and too much time with others and I get murderous.

If I read one more thing about solitude being healthy I may get real murderous.