solo sentry syndrome

based on my two months stint in the boys in blues brigade *hint 999* , i have proven without a doubt that we humans are truly social creatures. On every other day , I was made to guard key installations by my lonesome for 10-12 hours at a stretch ...i entertained myself by giving mini-concerts to an imaginary audience ...complete with witty conversation between songs, personal anecdotes and major flirting with the audience *think marvin gaye at the montreal jazz festival circa 1970s*...and i must say there were days when I brought the house down ... the masses extolling encores at the end of my set ...i often returned to deliver an unexpected italian aria just for the shock factor ..they lapped it up ...slaves to my imagination, they would have loved it even if i had sung Lemon Tree...

Now, I never thought much bout how i spend my alone sentry time until a few weeks back when i was patroling and was visiting one of the schools on my beat . This security guard came to talk to me ..he initiated conversation with " so how long you been in the police force?" and within the space of ten lines he progressed the conversation through such colourful topics as CPF , his ungrateful son , his lack of a sex life and his dentist *mind you within ten sentences , i swear * When i finally told him, 10 sentences later that i needed to continue patroling he said a sad g'bye and i swear i saw tears welling up in his eyes ... *okay okay the tears are exaggerating*

upon reflection , i questioned the coversational eagerness , the hurriedness of his topic switching , the longing in his eyes ....then i realized its Solo Sentry Syndrome ..we humans are not meant to be alone for too long , the yearning for social company subverts our normal traits so we might adapt to survive solitary life

think about it ....my singing to an imaginary audinece ...the aggresively chatty security guard ...tom hanks and mr wilson on castaway !! hmm now if i could only trademark SSS ( solo sentry syndrome) ...okays i'm off , i yearn conversation even as we speak