For a taste of solitude

In the eyes of many, Alain Gérbault, who has just crossed the Atlantic in a small boat, must seem like a madman. The sociable people around us cannot imagine that we can do without the commerce of other men; the gregarious mass wonders how an individual can go so many hours without speaking. In the current times, Thebaid is unlikely to be overpopulated and the solitude provokes too many serious reflections. However, I know of some who close their doors and release their dogs to avoid nuisances.

Life can be spent only in the company of a few loved ones, and still at times we feel the desire to escape from their affection and to be alone. It is by withdrawing into ourselves and living these ideas in the world that we manage to create the only lasting happiness. Civilized beings feel the need to think out loud. But, to fully understand the quality of their thoughts, it is enough to hear about the ladies in a salon, the men in the café and the strangers on the train.

Suddenly, an abyss seems to separate the one who is silent from those who speak. Yet we are all the same, with our little concerns, our little slanders, our little infamies. Ah! like Alain Gerbault must have enjoyed minutes of rare quality on the roaring sea. all alone, very little..."

D.