The friend within

Alone but not lonely as this beauty knows

People generally say unkind things about single females and males. "Something must be wrong with him/her," is one example. My favourite is: "You're too choosy." My friend Rabiaa Dani says the first thing they utter is "I am sorry" when she tells nosey parkers that she is single. Her standard reply: "Don't be. I am not!"

Singles are considered an anomaly, women and men deserving of pity and help. People who think that have yet to realise that "the most profound relationship" that they will ever have is the one with themselves (Shirley MacLaine). Marriage is not for everyone but even those who have found marital bliss will discover that sometimes "they have to stand alone to prove that they can still stand" (source unknown).

There are times when singles feel very lonely but those who are truly evolved go to sleep secure in the knowledge that they are their own best friends as Aristotle eloquently puts it: "He is his own best friend, and takes delight in privacy whereas the man of no virtue or ability is his own worst enemy and is afraid of solitude."

Kiplinger celebrates the joys of being single by putting together its list of best cities for those who live by themselves. Click here to read.

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