I am a Vagabond Astronaut.
Isolation is something I both desire and fear. On one hand, the bustle of the city where I used to live overwhelmed me with unrelenting clamor. Now, I live on the fringes of a smaller city where there are more trees than buildings. My wife goes out to work Monday through Friday from 9 to 5. I remain home. I venture out in the warm weather to get some circulation, but as the days grow short and the weather gets colder, I hide myself in the shell of my office. Many of my friends are scattered around the country. I communicate with them mostly via social media and get togethers are increasingly rare. Most everyone else is out at work as well. Those that I greet in my new building rarely go beyond, “Hey, how’s it going? Can I share this elevator? What’s your name? Mine is ____. Okay, have a happy (insert holiday here)!” That’s about as far as it goes. We have concierges and custodians in our bu...