Embracing Solitude Speech Charlotte Bronte once said, “I care for myself, the more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.” When people think of solitude, they think of loneliness which is far from the truth. You could be among people and still feel lonely. By now, you all have an idea of what my speech is going to be about, embracing solitude. All through my life, I have grown to appreciate solitude since I was born. Every step has brought me to a place where I value solitude since it is in those moments that I am able to learn about myself and how I relate to the outside world.  I have grown up in a family of four children, with me being the eldest. The sibling after me is ten years younger, which makes relating with each other close to impossible. We have no mutual interests and ten years was long enough for me to learn how to play by myself. In the ten years, I would be home alone for a few hours after school before my parents arrived. On one occasion, I remember there was a storm, and the roads got blocked. I was home alone, and my parents were stuck at work. I remember taking blankets and stuffing myself in the bathtub, and fear overwhelmed me. At that moment, I felt alone and forgotten until the neighborhood patrol came to get me. For a proportionate part of my life, Growing up alone, I learned self-reliance from a young age. One time I tried making pizza in my mother’s kitchen. I used the whole pack of flour and all the ingredients in the kitchen, and made a pizza with an entire load of toppings. I put it in the oven then switched it on. Even though I almost burnt down my entire house since I slept waiting, I learned that I actually enjoyed cooking. After my mother enrolled me in a cooking class, I am now the best chef in my family, and every time I am home, everyone knows something big must be cooking. When I got to college, the self-reliance I was equipped with came in handy in different instances. Adventure in the new town became my go-to when I was not in classes. I discovered the everglades nearby had a vast range of bird species which I took pictures of and designed a catalog. Picture books are one of the most significant sources of entertainment for my friends. My photography skills have also been harnessed, and my knowledge of birds has grown vastly. I have learned that the most significant elements of who we are, are discovered when we are alone. When we are alone, we are in our natural elements with no external expectations of who we should be. The various instances of me being alone in my space have made me what I am today. My interests and talents were all nurtured during my time alone. Imaginations function better when we do not have to talk to people. In the silence of our houses is when we discover the treasures within ourselves. Understanding and appreciating solitude can be very rewarding.