Gerty Dancer wrote:

---

I spent about 10 Christmases on my own. Fortunately I had a job where I worked on Christmas Day, I was caring for old people, but it was saddening to realise most of them would not be seeing a single soul for the rest of the day.

Theres a lot of it about!! And its the advertising hype that makes us all feel so bad.

Its a big mistake to accept an invitation to somebody elses family gathering, as you feel an awful outsider.

But a gathering of other singles has great potential...

---

 I guess you could be right about feeling the outsider Gerty. When I'm with a group, say at a wedding, and EVERYONE is married, and I'm the ONLY single woman...I really feel like the odd one.

Oh I am sure there are a lot more than just the few who have come on here.
I live in a block of 3 units. The whole 3 of us, 2 woman and 1 man spent Xmas day and New Years on our own.

It's an odd thing this "singleness" of women. We are perceived to be "merry widows" with a glass of champers always on hand, the bubbly life of any party, and maybe even dateless and desperate, and therefore easy prey, depending on the amount of champers we've consumed.
Who ever we are, life has dealt us the hand we play, and there are many reasons why single people are single. This refers to the blokes too.
Everyone has their story - the divorce, the loss of a loving partner and how it came to this.
In my case single is my preferred option because I keep finding out why the blokes I meet are single, and I haven't had an offer I couldn't refuse.
There seems to be a community of singles here in the park, and I've met a couple of them. They're everywhere.
We don't have to date and "whatever", but having a network of like-minded friends around, of both male and female persuasion, can be a very strong supportive network. If it wasn't for this network in Cairns I would have had a harder time recovering from surgery.
I think we need to refresh our self-esteems, with or without that glass of bubbly, and be thankful for what we have and where we are NOW. I'm thankful I can put both feet on the floor in the morning. Then I know it's a good day.
My kids are grown up adults making their own lives. That's life.

Ole Grizzly wrote:

---

Oh my gosh !
Seems there had been so many of us left alone with our own thoughts during the Christmas festivities.

A thought occurred to me as why we haven't organised a "Christmas in July" or any other suitable date for a gathering of the clan.

I for one would be so very keen to enlist this Solo group together and share love & good spirit with like minded company.

Any thoughts from you nice folk as to how where or where ?

Was just an idea.

---

 Ole Grizzly I would be happy to be in that although I'm not sure about the 'share love' part of it.  I think it would be great to meet some of the fellow members here and what better way than a xmas in July gathering,  although I think getting everyone together in the one spot may be difficult.  Also I really don't think it needs to be restricted to the solo section I think it would be great to get as many people as possible together from this forum regardless of their status.. 
I will be somewhere between Brisbane and Cairns in July if anyone else is heading that way maybe we can organise something.

I will be up that way in July but not sure exactly where until closer to the time. Good idea to have a get together.
Lets try and put something together closer to the time, we can all check in sometime in June as to our whereabouts and pick out a place closest to where the majority of us will be.

Sounds like a good idea.
How about in NSW?.......it's between the Banana Benders and the Mexicans.

My place would be OK, but it is REALY cold then, and my road in can be challenging. On the up side....it won't cost anything.

Cheers
Allara

I will be heading up to Qld about April, Allara, and hope to stay up there till at least August.
So will be anywhere between Townsville and Brisbane.

I'll be at the Easter Show in April, with my dogs.

Dahh................Sydney, is there any other?........LOL

I will see you before then Norma. When I get a chance I will pop over for the day. Not sure when as my niece had a baby boy in Geelong this morning so working out when to go down there first.

Hi Beth54, I'm in the Atherton Tablelands so if you get up here in April
let us know.