solitude

 

KakaoTalk, KakaoTalk… I was sick of the sound, so I changed it to "I love you." It feels a bit softer to listen to. When I heard the KakaoTalk sound on TV, I used to think it was my own phone call. I feel awe for the KakaoTalk sound that has captivated an entire nation with just one note. A brilliant idea born in someone's mind. Now, it is a sound that feels like everyday life. It is the sound of someone thinking of me, without blaming anyone. Perhaps that is why it is a sound that doesn't feel unpleasant to listen to.

The sound that awakens solitude.

About ten years ago, I visited the East Coast of Korea. A cafe there was named "Solitude." Intrigued by the name, I met with the owner. Was he telling me to "chew on solitude"? Was lonely people his main target? I was told that his joy in life was watching the waves crash in.

solitude.

It is a word with weight. However, few people live feeling that weight.

It is a word that inspires fear rather than positivity. Who would enjoy solitude? Except for me.

 

In English, solitude is Solitude.

It is not a word that makes loneliness reach its peak like a Korean word. Time alone.

Letting the affairs of the world flow by, and having time for myself. How could this be a word to fear?

Life is becoming increasingly comfortable and complicated. Where is the time I can be with myself? I don't even know who I am!

Everyone lives fittingly according to what others define them as—in the midst of delusion.

 

If one believes that life itself is an illusion, then solitude would not be so difficult to describe. It is time solely for oneself. Solitude is even selfish. Koreans have an expression, "chewing on solitude." This reveals, to some extent, their attitude toward solitude, much like the heavy self-reflection of deep contemplation. In my heart, solitude is a truly beautiful (lovely) word. Because when everything in the world drifts away, it calms me down.