lonely together by Christy Stephanie
Lonely Together, Vol. 1 by Christy Stephanie Copyright Š 2017 Lonely Together All Rights Reserved. Cover design by Stephanie No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Printed and bound in Singapore
What is Lonely Together? If you are lonely, why not do it together? Lonely Together is a comic series about lonely, tearful moments in life. It is created by the illustrator Christy Stephanie as a personal project. Being lonely is an experience, but so is having company. In sharing experiences about your own loneliness, you paradoxically break that loneliness through sharing. Thus, Lonely Together’s online community was born. On lonelytogether.com, people can share their lonely moments in life with others.
What makes you feel lonely? Care to share your stories? We’ve all been there - that moment where it feels like nobody was there for us. So I’d like to be there for you, and for you to be there for each other. Sharing is caring, and I hope that by turning your stories into comics, we can feel just that much more cared for. Lonely Together is an online platform that depends on you- your contribution, whether by buying this book or by submitting your stories, is very important to its existence. If you feel touched or relate to the stories in this book, you may submit your stories at our website.
My Stories I cry all the time. I cry when I’m sad, I cry when I’m lonely, I cry when I’m watching my favourite Broadway musicals. I find crying cathartic, but I recognize that it doesn’t solve my problems. It is the people around me that helps me when I cry, that makes things feel ever so slightly better after I finished bawling. I also know how crying alone feels. The helplessness, and feeling small in the face of all the problems around you. It’s lonely. So this one’s for anybody who felt lonely, at one point or another. I can’t help you, but I hope you feel, as I do when people comfort me, ever so slightly less alone.
PART 1
My Stories entry #1 - #10
Entry #1 : Home
I came back from work.
Room for four, empty.
I cried.
Entry #2 : Are you okay?
and I cried. My friend asked,
“How are you?”
She said, “Are you okay?”
and I
bawled my eyes out.
Entry #3 : Raphael
My friend passed away.
Heart problem.
He was
I didn’t cry.
Entry #4 : Praying
I prayed today.
I prayed hard.
But nobody...
...answered.
Entry #5 : Dirty
I was baptized.
A long time ago.
“But why do I feel so dirty?”
I cried.
Entry #6: Pure
At the beach,
alone.
Shame, shame, shame.
Shame on you.
Entry #7: Queen Bee
while we watched.
Honey Bee Hutch lost his mother,
Mom,
don’t leave.
Entry #8 : Pressure
When there is overwhelming pressure inside my head,
it shows.
Shows in my face,
Shows in my eyes.
Entry #9: Crowds
How can one be
lonely in a crowd?
And so happy
alone.
Entry #10: Bathroom
The bathroom is a private space- great for crying.
Tears mix with tap water.
And goes down the drain all the same.
So nobody will know.
Your stories I don’t understand loneliness completely. I don’t know what causes it in each person. What I do know, however, is that it’s not easy to feel like nobody, even your closest friends and family, is with you. And other people’s stories have convinced me of this. Your stories. Strange, sad, wonderful and heartbreaking stories. There are no words from me that can convey how much I appreciate you sharing your stories with me. So I drew them. I hope you are well now, and I hope your stories may help others too, and remind us all that we can be lonely, together.
PART 1
Your Stories entry #1 - #6
Entry #1 : Out
Getting kicked out
of my house.
Entry #2 : Unprofessional
No, no, no.
Not now.
Not now!
Please.
Entry #3 : Mom Called
Work numbed me,
until Mom called.
And I cried to her,
and cried a little more,
...and I finally felt something.
Entry #4 : Thinking and doing
...and think, and think, and think, and think,
and think why here, and think why now,
and think again.
So at night I’ll think. So I think, and think...
But I’m supposed to do.
Entry #5: Insert Name
Everything was well with the world, and sudden-
-ly, it felt awful.
I keep thinking, “I have it too good...
...to be having those thoughts.�
Entry #6: Imagine
I imagined my wedding,
my parents at the front seat.
I imagined them
I can only imagine standing there,
smiling, cheering.
loved and accepted.
Visit us at lonelytogether.com to tell us your stories, read new stories, and stay up to date on Lonely Together. This book would never be possible without the help of many people, especially those who shared their experiences.
Printed and bound in Singapore Font: Azo Sans by Rui Abreau
••• This book is a collection of fifteen original illustrations from the illustrator Christy Stephanie based around some of the most universal human emotions and experience; crying, loneliness and sadness. Lonely Together aims to share stories of lonely moments in life, thereby reminding the reader of the universality and common experience of sadness. •••