by Hosanna (’14)

The thing no one wants to be is a lone wolf. When do we ever hear about a wolf not belonging to a pack? Who’s the wolf supposed to hunt with? Who’s the wolf supposed to howl at the moon with, chase down white rabbits with, scare off predators with? It is all about being comfortable with yourself. It is all about being able to be alone. Being by yourself doesn’t necessarily mean running away from home to live in a crack-infested forest. Nor does it mean hiding in dark, moist, potato-growing closet corners reading a book you can barely see. I feel being alone is being able to walk down the street, see some annoyingly social kid from your school, and not wanting to find a stranger to talk to. It is being able to sit on the ground while waiting for a bus. It is being able to hear yourself cry and then laugh at yourself. It is being able to heal yourself. I’ve been a lone wolf since the beginning of time. The reason I started writing was because I felt left out. In elementary school I would listen to Amy Winehouse, type until I had to do homework, and read. Now, I’m plugged up, listening to Tupac, crying when I get too frustrated to deal with anyone, singing when a song is too good to be silent. If Chuck Norris can be a lone wolf and still sit in the corner of a circular room, why can’t anyone else? If you can’t deal with yourself, how can you deal with anyone else?

True stories.