Started reading Parker Palmer’s A Hidden Wholiness. One of his central premises is the need to integrate our requirement for solitude with that of community. He eloquently rationalizes their connection by redefining both positions.
Solitude means never living apart from one’s self. Not necessarily away from others all the time – not the absence of other people – but rather full presence with ourselves.
Community means connection with others. Not face-to-face or constant dialogue – but rather the full appreciation of the relationship with others.
Palmer describes the
"circle of trust" as a framework for this integration. Where participants are encouraged to “sit there in the woods”. To be there as each requires. I identified with his analogy to sitting with the dying – a humble yet so rich symbiosis.
