"I got married at an early age, but the marital bliss was short-lived as my wife died a few years later. That was 20 years ago, and I have since built a new, happy life for myself. In this new life, I have never had any desire to embark on another long-term relationship, let alone remarry. I enjoy being on my own, although I consider myself to be quite sociable. I have a group of good friends, who provide excellent company whenever I want it."
"They continuously ask me why I am not married, as if there is something seriously wrong with that. I have tried to explain my reasons for not being partnered, but my explanations fall on deaf ears. Many wax lyrical about the joys of marriage, claiming I am wasting my life and missing out by not having children. Nieces and nephews suit me just fine."
He married young and lost his wife a few years later, and twenty years on he has built a happy, independent life without any desire to remarry. He is sociable and supported by friends and family who accept his choice, but colleagues and strangers repeatedly question his unmarried status, suggest he is missing out, doubt his sexuality, offer dates, or recommend therapy. He wants civil, effective phrases to stop such intrusive conversations without withdrawing from social settings.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]