Given the divorce and insanity of my ex, I wouldn’t even consider ever giving up my living alone.
Visited a monastery in Croatia recently, it was like Piccadilly Circus !
The ascetic lifestyle image I had, had of monastic life was a little dispelled by seeing one of the monks with his feet up, reading the paper .
I’ll note a couple of things.
It never occurred to me to not be married. I applaud the younger generation for taking being single more to heart though. I have no problem with it.
I was miserable when I was alone, and am quite content being married.
One thing I’ve noticed about my bachelor neighbor. He’s in his mid-30s and is virtually unable to compromise on anything. He does things his way or no way. I’ll invite him over, he may or may not show up. He complains about the beer I buy, the chips I purchase. His ideas and his possessions are always better than anyone elses, he is unable to consider or accept that other people have other valid opinions.
I think this is a consequence of him being alone for so long. He doesn’t compromise because he doesn’t have to. He sometimes talks about finding a woman because he does get lonely at times, but he doesn’t realize the amount of compromise and give-and-take required for a good marriage.
Unfortunately, while his attitude essentially negates finding a life mate, it also affects his ‘likability’ with his friends. As he becomes more set in his ways and not consider others, he’s beginning to alienate them.
For me this is entirely the wrong attitude. Reduces everything to a business relationship.
If I don’t feel anything a lot stronger than that for someone then it is a lost cause. No different than having a flatmate.
My roommate/cousin is around but we don’t get in each other’s way. She does her thing and I do mine.
Neither of us is the slightest bit interested in marriage. I just like flying solo. She is watching her parents divorce–and it’s been 30 years in the making.
I don’t mind living alone, but my best living situations always involved sharing the living space with someone else. I like alone time, but, despite not necessarily being the most extroverted person in the world, I’m a social creature.
I was a SAHM and now I’m a SAHW, and I LOVE having the house to myself in the day. LOVE. IT. I dread Mr. Sali’s retirement in a few years, and he is very uneasy about it himself (he’s like me, a loner. We were two set-in-our-ways bachelors when we married and have always had our own ‘space’. A two story house and separate bathrooms helps!)…When daughter was small, though I love her more than my life, no one was happier on the first fall day back to school, or the end of Christmas vacation, or end of spring break, than me. It sounds like a dirty shameful secret, but I was always ‘on’, 24/7, the go-to person for everything, always doing stuff for the family, and I had no confidence. It was stressful. It was on me to do the endless driving, household stuff, keeping a small child happy and occupied, being a patient listener through endless sads and cries and dramas. I did my best and it all worked out fine, but dammit, I wanted my peaceful quiet house!..So here we are in a mundane room-mate type marriage, nothing much to talk about, don’t do much together, separate interests and enthusiasms. I’m not complaining, we’ve had a good life, and there was love there, and we never fight. But I would be very happy living alone if god forbid Mr. Sali died before me. I’d get rid of all this junk, all this stuff, sell the house, and live quietly and simply, alone and happy.
Ditto!