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Can loneliness actually become a companion? It certainly has for me. In fact, loneliness has become such a constant presence that, much like two friends who spend a lot of time together, it has begun to anticipate my thoughts and actions, feel what I feel, and yes, even care for me.

Listen. From a very young age I realized something about other people- I didn't like them. As a child I felt very detached from the other children who were my age. I found that their imaginations couldn't keep up with mine, that the things that kept them occupied and happy were incredibly boring to me, and that in general I didn't much like their company. They annoyed me. I did have a few friends at school who I was initially forced to spend time with, and not to say that I didn't enjoy some of that time, but I do remember that for the most part, whenever I had to play with another child I was wishing as hard as I could that I could be alone. After a few years of this, my parents and teachers realized the futility of their efforts and pretty much let me do what I wanted in regards to how I spent my free time.

At first I was happy that I didn't have to spend time with people who I didn't have anything in common with, people who didn't, and couldn't, think like me. I was free of them, but I had no companions. Who was I going to talk to? I tried to spend time with my older brother and his friends but as much as I could "hang" with their conversations, jokes, and commentary, I certainly wasn't big enough to hold my own in their rough-housing games or run off to the far reaches of other neighborhoods which existed on the other sides of busy roads that I was not allowed to cross. My parents were happy to spend time with me, they respected my intelligence and offered me stimulation in that regard, but they were still parents, with jobs and a house and another child to raise, so they didn't exactly have time to be my playmates.

I wanted company, albeit in limited quantities, but either I didn't like the people around me or they just didn't have time for me. I felt very alone, and coupling that with the existing feeling of detachment made for an extremely introverted personality. It was then that I was introduced to Loneliness. I didn't like it at first, because it was evidence of my detachment and separation, but I warmed up to it eventually after spending enough time with it to recognize its benefits. Loneliness didn't say stupid, poorly thought out things that annoyed me. It didn't talk

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