This morning I woke up with every intention to write for half an hour. I didn't sleep well as my one daughter climbed into bed with my wife and I and then proceeded to kick the blankets off every 10 minutes. Our other daughter woke up and I had to go in and stay with her for the rest of the night. Then my dreams were anxiety driven sales performance, ebay store intoxicated. I woke up at 5:30 with my daughter clinging to my arm. I tried to extricate myself from her grasp, finally by 6:00 I got out of bed and started to write. I wrote for 5 minutes when who should appear but my kids wanting breakfast.
I screamed inside, but let out a grunt... can we never have any time alone!
On the bus to work I was reading The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi, and just coincidentally, was on a chapter about solitude:

• The disciple asks: Is solitude necessary for sannyasin?


• Maharashi replies: Solitude is in the mind of man. One might be in the thick of the world and yet maintain perfect serenity of mind; such a person is always in solitude. Another may stay in a the forest but still be unable to control his mind..... solitude is an attitude of mind.

The universe is a good teacher!