The silence of living alone.

win231 said:
Like Burgess Meredith in that Twilight Zone episode when he found that library: "Time Enough at Last."
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win...you should see our library...you'd probably get lost in all the books and we wouldn't see you for a week!
Husband loves books, and I say "what's not to like". We're both book worms. Loved those old Twilight Zone episodes, too!
 

think your answer is a very small pet to focus on -plus talking too -
even if it is a parrot 'or a pussy cat - it will make such a difference to your silence …..
 

During my husband's last days, his noisy oxygen concentrator console would run all night. That's the first thing I noticed after he died, how quiet it was. I do enjoy quiet.
Yesterday I came home to the sound of water dripping in the cellar. Went down and found the water heater leaking, a lot. I hate the sound of water dripping. Of course I turned off the water to it, and went and ordered another water heater, but had to call my son to come over and confirm the water heater was toast. Stupid guy at the appliance store kept telling me it might be my plumbing instead. Why do they do that? He wasn't there, so he didn't know anything, but he got me sufficiently upset. That's when the quiet started to stress me out. Gah!
 
I raised 4 children (as a single parent) who were all 2 yrs apart and still call, text, and visit everyday...so I cherish silence when it happens. But if silence ever began to bother me I would choose an active senior community to live in. There are really nice ones around and most people enjoy them.
 
Connie said:
So many different thoughts. I'm more the like it quiet type. Not 24/7 365 though. I am a director of independent senior housing and folks move in that have lost a spouse, or a couple comes to live that their children are moved to their own homes etc. Gives them people to be around when they want. Maybe there are places like mine where you all live?
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I lived for a little while in one of those assisted living places. I found it too intrusive. I'm a quiet, private person, but you were expected to become part of a community. I got tired of people wanted to know all my business and making comments on my clothes etc. I took to sneaking out by the back stairs so I wouldn't have to tell people where I was going. Eventually I left and now I'm free to be the recluse I am.
 
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There are occasional times now when I just sit and enjoy the quiet. Life can be so noisy sometimes. I am still at the stage where I miss my husband's voice, though.

I now go both ways. Sometimes I need the quiet. Other times I need some noise, even if it is just turning on my fan or white noise machine
 
I like the quiet, well as quiet as it can get in the center of a small town on three major traffic routes. However, I can't go to sleep unless I have the TV on. Otherwise I lay there and listen for noises. OMG...what was that snap??? Is that rustling a wild animal that got inside or just the wind in the trees???? Is that chugging the furnace going kablooie????
 
fuzzybuddy said:
For over a year, I was in and out of hospitals, care facilities,and 1 home. When I go to my local ER, I can point and say,"I've been in that cubicle, that one, that one, that one, this one's my favorite". But now I'm home. What bothers me is the silence. In all those previous places, people were running around, shouting, coughing, even vomiting. Now NOTHING. I live in the sticks where you can here deer hoofs clicking on the rocks. I have to have the TV on, if I'm awake.
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The nightmares every night have caused me to go to bed with an audiobook playing.
Sometimes I'm lucky and it drowns out some of the horror.
 
bearcat said:
No. I live in a very large apartment building. I've been here sixteen years, never knew anyone.
I don't make or keep friends, really.
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I never had a large amount of personal friends. Just a few. I have lost contact with most of them. Then I lived in a very secluded home and sometimes hadn't left my home in months. Not even to go to the store. So two years ago when I moved into this building which is a senior housing apartment complex, I made myself go to the tenants' meetings and activities. I am not a game player but now I play Bingo twice a month (no money, just for the social interaction). Now I am friends with many of my neighbors and I like it. I really had to force myself to go to activities though and almost every time I came back home happy that I went.
 
I like the silence of living alone, and have never liked "white noise." I do listen to music quite often and have a very large collection, but I never use it as background noise. At the same time, I like to be able to get out and about when I need to hear human voices and get a bit of social interaction. Now that we can't do that, I have cabin fever.
 
Marlene said:
I like the silence of living alone, and have never liked "white noise." I do listen to music quite often and have a very large collection, but I never use it as background noise. At the same time, I like to be able to get out and about when I need to hear human voices and get a bit of social interaction. Now that we can't do that, I have cabin fever.
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I am like you. I never liked the sound of a television that is constantly on. If I was watching a program that was one thing and I'd mute it for the commercials. I also have a collection of music and play it often but not nonstop all day long. When I lived in the country I did not have the option of listening to music (until I finally had enough electric to power a boom box) or watching videos on my computer. Actually, I did not mind all that much because I loved hearing the sounds of nature and the forest. The birds were my favorite sound in the spring. I don't hear them anymore here (in a city) and I miss that. I don't really have cabin fever but will be going out today. I am always happy when it is time to come back home.
 
I am accustomed to the silence. I have spent my entire life never having people in my life really. It started when I was young. The kids at school didn't understand my Tourette Syndrome so I was socially shunned. Later in life I had difficulties playing well with others so I secluded myself. After my 2nd divorce and a couple boyfriends later, I still had no companionship or friendship to show for it. I slowly began to isolate myself from everyone. Then I worked for a man who hurt me so badly emotionally that I withdrew even farther. I've never really recovered and I have found solace and safety in being alone. Every time I reach out to others they give me a reason to withdraw again. No one seems very interested in taking the time to get to know me or spending any time with me. Please note that I'm not complaining. I have just pretty much accepted the fact that I am going to be alone for the rest of my life. I've embraced it. I'm learning to enjoy it. I hate the noise of life and all the incessant jibber jabber that goes on. Doors slamming, music blaring, engines revving, people just jabbering away all day long about nothing. The racket at work. It's nice to come home to the peace and quiet and be able to adjust the volume of life at home. In my 50s now and this has been taking place little by little since I was a little girl. I have learned to keep myself busy and find things that bring me joy. If it's too quiet and you like soft music...find a way to make that happen.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
For over a year, I was in and out of hospitals, care facilities,and 1 home. When I go to my local ER, I can point and say,"I've been in that cubicle, that one, that one, that one, this one's my favorite". But now I'm home. What bothers me is the silence. In all those previous places, people were running around, shouting, coughing, even vomiting. Now NOTHING. I live in the sticks where you can here deer hoofs clicking on the rocks. I have to have the TV on, if I'm awake.
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I too lived alone 14 years in Alaska and now 4 here in Texas. I guess I am fortunate that I have adjusted by filling those many hours. In Alaska without any electricity or TV if I wasn't working outside I read and after a couple years there I became an amatuer radio operator, a ham, this took up a couple hours interspersed throughout the day. Now in Texas and not allowed to operate my radio I have replaced that with writing my blog on WordPress and streaming TV series. Yeah I know I should get back to reading and to replace my physical work in the woods should get outside and do some walking but what can I say I am weak.

The takeaway is to find something that occupies your mind that you like even if it is only to pick up a book
 


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