Hello everyone. I figured we could all use a bit of an uplifter since the pandemic has many
of us feeling isolated. I wanted to make this video not only for those who might need it,
but also for myself. I struggle with loneliness as well, sometimes. Right
now I’m not sure if it’s something that can ever be cured completely,
but there are definitely ways to overcome phases of it, and conveniently I happened to have come
across an episode of Clarence that will help me express what I learned about this topic.
Lil Buddy is the name of this charming story. If this video at all
inspires you once I’m done, I recommend giving it a watch.
Now who is Lil Buddy? This is Lil Buddy. He may not seem like much, but to this character
named Clarence, he’s like a best friend. However, the children think that Clarence,
and his toy friend are weird. When he asks for the kids to play with him, they all reject him
one by one. After a misunderstanding, he gets put on time out, and is forced to
sit alone by himself for 5 minutes. It’s hard for him to do nothing for that amount of time,
so he overthinks, and panics about something that shouldn’t really be that big of a deal.
Whether you are a kid, or a grown adult, for the average person, it’s difficult to sit alone
for 5 minutes. Our minds easily drift off, and depending on the person, it can be incredibly
uncomfortable. Clearly, Clarence doesn’t have any experience when it comes to meditation,
which is more important than a lot of us realize. He has a need, a desire for others to accept him,
but when he is rejected, he doesn’t know how to handle it.
As a result, he blames his toy friend for the rejections. He throws it against the wall,
accidentally breaking it in the process, immediately feeling guilt for doing so. After
running away to a random spot in a forest, then burying his toy, he loses all sense of enthusiasm
and motivation. The middle of the episode consists of him slowly developing into a lonely,
frustrated, and depressed school kid. His frustration leads to anger, and he is punished
with multiple detentions. Not only does he feel lonely, but he doesn’t want to talk to anyone,
which is relatable. There have been times where I’ve felt that way.
Most people think loneliness is this thing where the person feeling lonely just wants friends,
but it can also come from the idea that there is no one to talk to that will understand you.
If you have followed my channel recently you would know that I’m not the biggest fan of the
modern school system. One of the reasons why is because school kinda just assumes
everyone has friends to talk to, which isn’t always the case, and definitely wasn’t for me
when I was first starting high school, which was a miserable time for me, by the way.
School doesn’t bother to tell kids that, “hey, if by any chance there’s no one to eat lunch with,
or to play basketball with, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you” which is what a
lot of kids automatically assume because of this toxic chase to be like everyone else.
Clarence appears to be ashamed of himself throughout the episode.
I really want those of you watching, who are currently struggling with feelings of loneliness,
to take this point away: Being alone is nothing to feel ashamed about, no matter what anyone says.
You might live somewhere where it seems like everyone has a friend to talk to or a romance
they enjoy but that doesn’t mean there isn’t beauty in being alone. This is something that
I had to realize myself, and it’s something that I still have to remind myself, considering I live
somewhere that is very relationship oriented. Even then, I'm still able to find peace within myself,
even if it’s just for a day or two, so it’s possible to enjoy your own company,
and if you don’t believe me, take a look at how this story ends.
Clarence’s issues get resolved after he is given his toy friend back.
With the power of his imagination, he is able to enjoy time by himself by the end of the episode.
One message we can take away from all of this is: It’s important not to reject the
people or things that bring us great joy, no matter what others may say about said things.
In conclusion, being alone, and feeling lonely are 2 completely different things. Being alone
actually has a lot of benefits, believe it or not. The concept of being by oneself for
a certain period of time is something that, in my opinion, should be admired,
instead of feeling ashamed of. Of course, humans are social creatures by nature, so it’s still
important for us to be open to communication, and connection with whoever resonates with us,
when given the opportunities. Because of this, I personally believe there should be a balance.
One of the struggles that I run into, and us introverts run into is that while we
enjoy our alone time, there are other times where we crave social interaction. For example, I’m 21
years old living alone. Just like Clarence, I have a tendency to overthink my situation and turn it
into something negative when it doesn’t have to be. When in reality, learning how to be alone can
actually be badass. It shows that we don’t need to rely on anyone to still be able to enjoy and
appreciate life. It’s all about quieting the mind, and focusing our thoughts to be more positive and
uplifting, because like I said, being alone is nothing to feel embarrassed or ashamed of.
The idea that one is not worthy of long lasting friends, or romantic relationships is where I
think the shame from being alone comes from. So something that I have been doing recently
is saying to myself out loud that I am worthy of friends and relationships. When I say that
a couple of times, I immediately feel better afterwards. It helps me realize that I don’t need
any friends, or a romantic relationship to still feel as if I am worthy of those things. Plus,
being alone gives me the perfect opportunity to treat myself like a king.
So for those of you who need to hear this, remember to be there for yourself,
even if it seems like nobody else is. You’re the only person you are guaranteed to spend the
rest of your life with, and technically speaking, none of us are alone. There
is love all around us, love in different forms, whether we realize it or not. Plus,
if we were alone, then there wouldn’t be this many views on this YouTube video.