Loneliness & Holiness
I just finished listening to S-Town, a podcast that paints a portrait of a man's life, a man named John, from a variety of perspectives and leaves the listener feeling somewhat burdened but also more awake. This post isn't about S-Town, but it is about a theme that runs through John's story both before and after his death: loneliness. There's a point in the story when Brian, the reporter, is talking to one of John's old friends, to learn more about who John was while he was alive. Allen, the friend, is describing a deep, personal friendship that often involved Allen trying to encourage and lift John out of his recurring depressive states. "Wow," Brian says to Allen, "I had no sense talking to him that he had people in his life, like you, who were trying to help him this way." Allen replies, "I don't think John realized how many people cared for him. And I just think that's really sad because I actually think he died thinking he wa
