Not talking to another human being for months in the old west


Although I enjoy time-traveling, especially back to the old west, there are many things that make me realize that I wouldn't have really liked it, and what I've been thinking about lately is the need to talk to someone.

I was watching "The Legend of Buster Scruggs" on Netflix again (highly recommended!) and as I watched the beautiful scenery in the episode about the old prospector, I got to thinking how unusual people like that were, and are. Because I know that there are people right now who can go for days, weeks, months, maybe even years, without talking to anyone.

Speaking for myself, I enjoy my solitude, but I feel a need to connect with my fellow human beings every day. It may just be saying good morning to someone during my ride, it could be calling a friend, but I'm convinced that I wouldn't last very long out in the wide-open spaces. If I did, when I came into town I'd probably blabber about where I found some gold, or something like that.


In another episode in "Buster Scruggs", an old fur trapper talks about his relationship with an Indian woman. They didn't understand each other's language, but they felt the need to talk. He mentioned that he would go into town occasionally to practice talking to people - what he called "keeping his hand in it", and it occurs to me that many people who struggle with social anxiety are doing just that. There are a lot of lonely people out there who just need to connect every once in a while.

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