Never Unplugged?

This article about loneliness and solitude, and the lengths to which the modern citizen of the world will go to escape them, is fascinating.

I do like to stay connected, but I also cherish those times when I unplug. For me, being unplugged means:

• reading offline
  
• sitting in a public place, just enjoying the sights
  
• being outdoors - to be fair, I'm usually doing something, walking, gardening, etc.
  
• writing/making notes
  
• talking to someone
  

That's not a very extensive list. I remember an old book by Agatha Christie about a woman forced, due to circumstances, to be in a foreign country, surrounded by strangers, with absolutely nothing to do for days. In the book, she ends up examining her life, and determining to make substantial changes (which, upon her return, she ends up NOT making).

I suspect that most modern people spend too little time in introspection and contemplation, myself included. When my daughter was a novice, she spent several weeks not talking. It almost drove her crazy at the time. Since then, she has learned to enjoy the silent times.