THE ISOLATION OF WRITERS

J.D. Salinger, author of “The Catcher in the Rye” died on January 27, 2010 in his home at Cornish, New Hampshire. Salinger was known not only for his famous novel that became a tool in surviving the adolescent years, but also for his reclusive lifestyle. Salinger would go through long periods of time without contact with individuals and for the most part after 1980, he shunned any type of public interview and retreated to his home where he remained quietly until his death.
Writers are known for their reclusive and private ways. Modern day writers such as Stephen King and Dean Koontz rarely commit to long term publicity tours surrounding their books and many writers like Thomas Harris, author of “The Silence of the Lambs” would prefer to be left alone altogether. Yet their work gives them an all intriguing and mysterious factor to their stature , therefore public interest into the lives of these famous authors have and will continue over the course of their lifetimes.
My grandmother would have the tendency to talk to my mother about my own reclusive nature. There was a time when I lived with my grandmother while I was reorganizing my life and she would constantly come to my bedroom door to check up on my well being. She would always ask if everything was okay or if something was wrong, which in my mind, it was a bit of an annoyance because everything was alright with me. I could see from her perspective why she felt like I could be depressed and withdrawn from the world but from my own mind, thoughts and ideas are coming at me and I needed time alone to process them. There are times where I will retreat to my bedroom and stay within the compounds of my bedroom walls for days at a time. These are usually periods for me where I can recharge and self focus to determine where I need to direct my energies. People often fear that I am suffering from depression during these times but for me it’s really a time of growth and reflection. I do tend to write more often when I am left alone to deal with the world that is taking place inside my head and writing, for me, is a tool that I use to bring some type of order to the chaos of ideas that are flowing through my mind.
I also understand the point that I have given people reasons to be concern about my mental status. I have dealt with depression for the most part of my twenties and I have used drugs to escape the feelings of isolation and loneliness. There was a period in my twenties where the only feeling that I strived for was the lack thereof. Numbness was the key to getting through each and every day. However, like everything under heaven, there is a season for everything and those seasons do pass for each of us in their own way.
There is nothing more fulfilling to me than locking myself in my apartment for a few days wearing nothing but my superman pajamas, eating chocolate chip cookies and milk , and having my laptop in my lap. My thoughts seem to flow better when I isolate myself and I can see certain ideas from different perspectives when I do this. I can ask myself questions and I can even role play if I need a different type of answer. I do have a tendency to talk to myself and even worst I sometimes talk to myself using a different voice just so I can get that different perspective. Some people might label this as crazy but for me, it’s a tool that keeps me sane. Much like love and hate, there is a very thin line to what is normal and crazy. I really believe that the best of human beings are able to walk more so on the crazy side of that line.
So this is the reason why I enjoy writing and why I sometimes enjoy isolating myself… it’s simply a release! It gives me a satisfaction that I can think for myself and expressed to those around me what I am free to just be and to speak. I take strong pride in my individuality and nothing makes me feel better knowing that I am one and unique. I can write about anything and I tend to make certain controversial stances on issues but it’s something I love to do. Yes, I contradict myself a lot and my opinions can change over a period of time but they are my own and even if I don’t agree with them later on, they are still mine. This is a gift to myself when I become the hermit that I sometimes can be. I understand J.D. Salinger’s need to hide himself from society. I know how much fun it can be living in your own world… I know it helps me to cope with everything that this planet has to deal with. So for all the J.D. Salingers out there…. Value the time you have in your worlds and grow from those experiences… if you’re a writer…. Then write! If you’re an actor…. Then act! If you’re a singer… then sing… Just remember to come out of your world every once in a while to say hi and to show us what you’ve accomplished. It’s these accomplishments that are our art and it’s art that shows our humanity.