No family, no friends, not even a dog; absolutely no one. Darkness seems to follow you no matter how hard you try to escape it, but somehow you keep getting sucked back into the loneliness of it all. Sometimes, all you can think about is ending it, once and for all, but is that really the only way out? How about the temporary light of a welcoming café with the company of others there to help you forget about the life outside of that building? Loneliness is a horrible thing to suffer from, so when you have the option to be surrounded by others, it seems very logical that you would jump at that offer. Having the company of other people is basically something that everyone longs to have; therefore, a clean, well-lighted place seems ideal.
In the short story “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” by Earnest Hemingway, a lonely old man is accompanied by two waiters - one older and very compassionate, the other younger and much more naive - at a warming café. Little does anyone know, the elder man desires nothing more than the company of the café and everything it contains. He feels alone; all he wants is some relief in this world by having people around him every now and again. Not only does this short story give a great example of one lonely man, but it illustrates another lonesome elder. The older waiter relates to the old man in many ways; neither has family, both enjoy being in the café, having others around, and being away from the darkness of the lonely lives each of them live, at least momentarily. They enjoy the company of one another, any lonesome person would. The cafe just so happens to be the perfect setting for these two men.
Most nursing homes also contain quite a few lonely people. A good number of the people living in nursing homes have little to no family that comes to visit with them; therefore, having an effect on how happy they are. The minute they see a welcoming face nearby -whether thy know the person or not - they put on a giant smile that begs for you to go over and talk to them for even just a few minutes. In all honesty, it’s sad. All these elderly people want is someone to block the darkness out and let some light in, but no one seems to help them in achieving that. Everyone needs some ease and brightness in their life, but some just don’t receive that; therefore, making them lost and alone during their time on Earth.
Without having someone that you love and care about by your side can be extremely depressing; consequently, making life harder and not as enjoyable. Everyone needs their clean well-lighted place in order to live a happy life. God put us on this Earth together to help one another through the journeys of life, but some people simply get left in the dust which is awful. By giving someone the nice warm feeling inside not only makes them content, but it also helps brighten up your day.
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