Sunday Morning Solitude

A lot of people think I'm crazy for getting up every Sunday morning for 9am mass by myself. People have a lot of different reasons for attending church; for me, I can't think of a better way to start the week.

Growing up, I went to church for a sense of community. Our whole family would go every week and I got involved in a lot of the youth groups. Although I believe going to church will always make you feel like you belong to something bigger, I think my current weekly trips to church have taught me how to appreciate my own company.

On Sunday mornings I wake up at 8am and it sounds like the city is still asleep. I know that at least my roommate is. Church is a little over a mile away but I enjoy walking, even if it's freezing cold outside. Pop in my headphones and just enjoy the only time of the day and week when the streets aren't packed with cars and people. I have to walk through a beautiful residential area and I love seeing all of the seasonal decorations. When you live in a city and go to school with people mostly in their 20s, it's sometimes easy to forget that there are families around you.

That's also the nice thing about being at church itself. Being an avid people watcher, I love watching the little babies and kids try to stay entertained during mass. I like seeing little older couples interact with each other. I just see a whole little mix of people I would never see. Most of the time I try to pay attention to the homilies but sometimes my mind will drift and I will wonder what these people do in their day to day lives. After mass, I walk back home and I'm ready to start the week.

I guess when you're removed from other people or the things in your day to day life (like piles of reading), you just look at things differently. I know if I was walking with someone, I wouldn't notice everyone's yards or the bright blue sky as much. Even if I only do it for an hour and a half every week, I actually have realized that it's more revitalizing than getting another hour and a half of sleep. I'm crazy, I know.