We found the little gap in the fence too late; our first entry to the lost place was quite cumbersome. We had to crawl through some bushes and climb a stone wall to enter the area. Somewhat fitting that it was a cold and dizzy December morning. Our exploration was rather slow, cautious, silent and aware. Phones out for pictures; eyes sharpened for the ever so tiniest detail to capture and memorize it. At the far end of our planned route was the one big hall. Used for heavy and huge train construction work back in the days – a mere outer shell slowly collapsing nowadays. Inside, at the top of the back wall, we finally saw the one graffiti which surprised your eyes the most.
ALONE
TOGETHER
What a perfect description of that place and that moment. In the weeks since this first visit it became ever present in our chats, was printed out as a memory and a reminder of that feeling. Yet the message somehow meant more.
A quick look at the online world shows that the phrase is mostly associated with the good old pandemic times – which makes sense. The feelings and situations back then: the isolation, the rebellion against the „Alone“ to get „Together“ again as well as the slightest feeling of comfort in the new „Alone“. Described in just two words.
ChatGPT sums it up quite well:
Still not exact what it meant to us that very moment and ever since. With long-distance-running in mind Alone Together is so much more. All the moments during countless nights, the moments out there of shear desperateness, of being the loneliest wanderer beneath an endless sky, the moments of weakness, of exhaustion, of being hopelessly lost. Yet: during some of these adventures we were accompanied by fellow runners, sometimes even together with friends, during some of those trips we had our location shared with the world for people to follow us online – in almost all cases there was a form of connection, no matter how thin. A bit of Together in this big Alone. Two words describing the feeling of long-distance-running in a very abstract yet perfect way.
The phrase seems to be less offensive when hold against our loud and overwhelming world. A phrase entering the room silently; standing in the back observing the mess. A phrase moving on slow and cautious feet. In a respectful and delicate way. Respectful towards the people appreciating the Alone yet delicate enough to not hurt the precious Together. Uniting these two contradictory words to a much bigger and meaningful phrase. Creating a positive and safe environment enabling the possibility to be happy with Alone things even when being Together.
In long-distance-running the image and mentality of the lone wolf is glorified nowadays. Alone Together has something of that image yet adds more alone wolves to the picture – striding effortlessly and endlessly through the void. Alone Together.
If I would need to describe the preferred way for me to walk through life and interact with fellow humans – this way comprises a lot of this meaning of Alone Together. Cautious but with real and true interactions, full of respect and gratitude towards fellow humans and their choices and a certain distance to the constant flow of things to gain time for meaningful decisions. I consider myself extremely lucky to be surrounded by a few like-minded friends. I would happily chose them to be Alone Together for good.
The area with this great graffiti is about to be torn down in the next very few weeks. We recently visited the place for one last time. Alone Together was still there. Untouched. Soon the graffiti, the hall and the whole area will be gone for good. Living in memories and stories for the rest of time.
