Funny enough it’s the title of a teen book I read in high school, that was over a decade ago. Today I decided to really just make it happen, drop everything move to somewhere else and just disappear. It’s the only alternative I can think of other than to either kill myself and become an alcoholic. I’m so sick of being tracked, everyone knowing where I am what I’m doing, social networking etc. I’ve set a date and will gradually ease out of my physical and digital existence. I don’t want to be found. Maybe it’s the recent news, but all these articles about how our every move is being recorded by surveillance, phone device, ip address, has even strengthened my depression of already being too over-connected and watched by family and friends etc. I’m not saying I want to be a hermit, but it would be nice to have a new life that is entirely mine, a mediocre job and no expectation from other people.
Ever since I was young I’ve always wanted to just read all day and do nothing else. I got into a prestigious profession that I don’t enjoy, I feel obligated to keep it up and compete in the field. I don’t think I’ll be able to live if I have to do that for the rest of my life. The sad thing is I found out even with a librarian position I would need a fairly specific education. Right now my plan is to move to somewhere else, and organise the transition gradually.
Hey, at least this is better than suicide, I think.
4 comments
Sound like a plan, a pretty courageous one but a plan nonetheless. I wonder if the Pilgrim Fathers were thinking along the very same lines.
Hey mutedhorn, I’ve always dreamed of the same thing. I sort of accomplished it somewhat, but they found me.
I went as far as to change my name, quit my profession and start a profession in something completely different (if you’re moderately competent you can get a low level job without any references, then work your way up). I dumped all friends & connections with my past and moved to a different country for a while.
But slowly they find you. And what’s worse, you can never get away from yourself.
I posted about this a few weeks ago, my last hope is to try again, change my name again & move to South America & live in a hut on a beach. By the time they find me I’ll be dead, I hope.
Good luck on your rebirth. Burn all bridges. Don’t leave any traces at all, otherwise they WILL find you.
I did once go out to buy a jar of coffee and ended up in Florence for 12 months; my plan, if indeed I had one, was however to return to the UK at some point. It was a happy time, almost starved to death, spent some time in the streets but happy nonetheless; gardened, helped design theatrical sets, busked and just, well, survived. That was however half a lifetime ago, I was likewise tracked down.
“I did once go out to buy a jar of coffee and ended up in Florence for 12 months”
Hahaha. Now that must’ve been a good cup of coffee!
What’s stopping us from doing stuff like that now? Is it because we’re “older”? And if so, what defines “older”? Too afraid to take chances?
I remember the happiest time in my life was when I was able to pack all my earthly belongings into a car with my dog in the passenger seat. I drove from New York to California with no plan in mind. Slept in cheap motels, or on the side of the road when money ran out. But yeah, eventually the money did run out & life caught up with me. If I could somehow recapture that feeling of freedom, but make it last forever, I think I could make it thru life without too many gripes.