DEAR ABBY: I am in my mid-30s, blond, blue-eyed, tall and slender. I am health-conscious and physically active. I have had a seven-year marriage and a relationship that lasted for four -- but for the last five years I have been unattached. It took me a while to get used to being alone, but I have realized something that everyone needs to know: Being single can be very satisfying
I clean my house; it stays clean. I have no extra dishes or laundry to do. There's no toothpaste left in the sink. The toilet seat stays down. I can relax in front of the fireplace because no one is trying to get my attention.
My checkbook is always balanced, with no surprises. I can go to bed at night and sleep without having to spend half the night explaining why I'm not "in the mood." I wake up refreshed in the morning without having to share someone else's challenges.
I'm free to come and go as I please without the burden of anyone else's expectations. And, if I'm feeling social, I can get together with a male or female friend and go out and have a good time.
Please reassure your single readers that it's OK to be single, and not to allow their well-meaning friends, family or society to try to convince them they "need" to be in a relationship. If they're happily single, as am I, they can remain that way and life will be just fine if they let it be. For me, it's the only way to be. -- HAPPILY SINGLE IN SEATTLE
DEAR HAPPILY SINGLE: I have often said it is better to be alone than to wish you were. I have also said that there are worse things than being alone, and evidently you have experienced them.