No Man Is An Island.

Perhaps man’s greatest fear is absolute isolation.

From the moment of conception, another perpetually surrounded each of us. As infants, if we were lucky, we were engulfed in some form of nurture.
If a child’s development is observed, one will see that the young move from focusing on individual parts of the mother’s body…breast, eyes, mouth…to the face, finally taking in the whole of the mother’s physical presence. Perhaps this is the moment when we begin to grasp that there are others in the world beside ourselves.

Due to the magic of mental projection, many of us are able to lead lives of relative isolation, not just comfortably, but preferably. As long as we have our thoughts, we never experience a sense of loneliness. As the old saying goes, I prefer talking to myself because I enjoy the company.

However, there are those times when all of us, no matter how committed to the luxury of hermitage, need the physical presence of another being. There will be moments of such duress that the maxim will win out, no man is an island.

I am fortunate that I have, in my life, someone who is able to offer solace at such times. My hope is that the law of reciprocity is at work in that particular relationship. I know that it can often be challenging for both involved, as, quite often, the same storm is battering the edges of their respective sanities.

I wish to make one thing abundantly clear…there is no reason to assume that said object of fortification has to be a member of the same species. Let me repeat that…there is no sound reason to conclude that the one, or ones, who help you ride out the storm, must be human. In fact, on many occasions, humans make the worst companions.

There is a reason for that. Humans have the annoying habit of verbalizing their emotions. Of course, one by-product of that idiosyncrasy is the existence of the arts. Indeed, you would not be reading this very essay if that were not the case. But, research has borne that Homo sapiens does not corner the market on art appreciation. Bears can be observed enjoying nature’s great masterpiece, “The Sunset”. Indeed, birds sing, and even arrange objects in a kind of home makeover project, if you will.

But, the greatest asset of a non-human companion is their ability to express their concern, love and care in the deeper, more primitive form of communication that post-infants often forget…physical communication. Life comes full circle when face to face with kitten or pup, as it focuses on individual parts of its caregiver’s body…the hand, the eye, the mouth. This is followed up by the wonder of the sloppy lick, the drool-laden nuzzle and nature’s sweetest symphony…Purr, in D minor.

It is a wise person who is careful to surround his or herself with companions, holding at bay our greatest fear…absolute isolation. Hats off to these true friends, human, and non-human alike.