Joanne, your refusal of the crowd finds its truest home not in isolation but in the fierce solitude required for real conversation between two large natures. I once sat with a friend who would have filled every silence with polite chatter until I realized he was merely echoing my own thoughts rather than challenging them; that moment taught me that high friendship demands we be able to do without it. “Better be a nettle in the side of your friend than his echo.” Did you ever find that very one person who could truly stand beside you without becoming part of your noise?

I met my husband of 44 years when we were in our young teen years. We were friends first before we fell in love. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to grow into adulthood together. We can stand beside each other in companionable silence or discuss important subjects, secure in our ability to listen, learn, and grow side by side.