About 99.9% of my friends are married or in long-term relationships; thus rendering me the lone wolf. However, wolf is not an accurate descriptor–perhaps lone ranger, without Tonto is more apt. On occasion, many of my friends have asked, “Don’t you ever get lonely?” A fair question, but how can I get lonely with five dogs, who love me unconditionally, who sit at my feet as I write this blog? I never sit on the sofa alone, nor do I sleep alone. My dogs are my constant companions, which can be burdensome at times, when they tear through my house chasing each other.

But the other curious statement I often hear is: “You’re so lucky, Sue. You are free from all the demands of a relationship. You have no schedule, no meals to prepare, no calendars to juggle, no one to answer to, and no requirements.” Yes, this is a big plus. If I want to eat dinner at midnight, I do. If I decide on a whim to jet off for the weekend, I just have to arrange the dog sitter. No questions asked, no justifying my Amazon bill, no shared decision-making.

Oddly, this weekend two of my besties found themselves in my position–their husbands were away for the weekend. They were both euphoric.”What should we do, Sue?” Wednesday night we went to the casino, gambled, and gorged ourselves on delicious bar food. Thursday night we tried the new pizza place in the “hood and laughed for hours in my family room. Friday night, we went to the neighborhood grill where we play trivia and ate too much clam chowder. When we were about to leave the restaurant, I notice a change in my friends; they were drifting back into the realities of their lives. “This has been a blast, but my son is coming tomorrow night for a week, and I need to get stuff ready.” The other nodded, “And I’ve got piles of laundry to do and mop up all the dog prints before my husband gets home.”

Granted we had a whimsical weekend, but neither of them would trade their realities for mine. Yet, both of them agreed it was a great escape from their routines. Sometimes, we all enjoy a different road. without the usual ruts. Trust me, it’s enlightening to step out of the usual and ordinary!