It's been my experience that a lot of blogs exist on the intarwebs (read: internet, for those of you unfamiliar with my lingo) solely to provide their writers a quasi-public forum to vent and/or clamor for attention. I think it's fairly obvious everyone wants to be heard, appreciated, have their opinions valued; nobody goes through life immune to the need for this kind of validation, no matter how independent they might be. I've always been of a solo bent, and generally I split my time into something like 20% social and 80% alone...something of a recluse, I suppose, although I've never seen it like that.

Anyway, this subject's been on my mind quite a bit recently. I've been reading a lot; and, quite frankly, for me that means A LOT. I'm always digging through two or three books at any given time, but recently it's been more like six or seven at once, on top of assigned stuff for classes. Last semester I found an interest in philosophy I'd never been aware of before, and I've been devouring ancient Greek dialogs since then. I just finished the Phaedo, which I suggest to anyone with a keen interest in the core of all things spiritual: the soul. Fascinating work.

But I digress. My point is I've been spending an increasing amount of time withdrawn from the real world, which is perhaps a little ironic, considering I've reallocated most of that time to reading philosophy (which strives to understand the world, although perhaps Socrates would approve of my sojourn away from the material). Well, and playing World of Warcraft, I suppose, although honestly that's primarily been a vehicle through which to keep in touch with my friends back home in Maine. 900 miles is nothing on the internet.

That's actually the crux of what I'm writing about here. I left all my closest friends far behind when I moved here, and while I sincerely love Saint Vincent, I have yet to find anyone to replace them. Of course, the idea of "replacing" such tremendously valuable assets as true friends is ludicrous; but, in their absence, others tend to fill the void. So I'm told, at least...I don't really work that way, or seem not to. I forge friendships very slowly, but very strongly, and they almost never fade away. One of those far-removed friends of mine is fond of saying, "If you only meet a dozen people worth anything in your entire life, you've done pretty well." I hold this to be roughly true in that it is a rare thing indeed to find even one other person whose absence you would truly and forever miss. I don't really include family in this abstract formula, as you can't really help but find them; this is more about discovering unknown folks in the world. The conditions that make these friends so valuable are often hard to pin down: a kindred mind or soul, maybe, or perhaps the ever-slippery notion of love (which I'm currently investigating in the Phaedrus, and on a side note what a complicated dialog that is). In my 23 years, I've been lucky enough to have found five such extraordinary people. Three are far away, on the rocky coasts of the Pine Tree State. One I no longer see or hear from, due to my own ignorance and folly. The last was taken by the cruelty of fate, diminishing us all.

I've heard it said that there's not much to do around this campus. I don't think that's true at all; there seems to be a lot going on every night, and occasionally I think I should be participating, although with my full-time work schedule that's a virtual impossibility anyhow. The need for sustenance is such an annoyance, heh...for those of you reading who might be high school students considering applying to Saint Vincent, thank your parents now (and always)! Your freedom in college comes at a high price to someone...trust me, it's frustrating to go it alone.

Still, I don't want to sound as though I'm complaining, nor do I want to become like the sort of person I mentioned earlier who uses a blog as an emotional soapbox. I simply write what's on my mind. Right now, I miss my home, locked as it might be in the vise of a bitter New England winter, and I miss my friends, without whom I sometimes feel a little lost. There are so many good people here at SVC, of that I am certain...but the bond of true friendship is so rare. Cherish it when you find it.

Or lose yourself in computer games and ancient philosophy texts, which is what I'm off to do. Valere, meorum noti.