Reply #32: Dear Dr. Kittenhearts....

[NightTrain]

I decided quite some time ago that I would never again become serious about a woman with whom I have nothing in common musically and/or politically. When I tell people this, often they opine that I'm too choosy and that if I don't get off my high horse, I'll die alone.

Since music and politics are my two biggest passions, I simply can't imagine myself being happy with a mate with whom I have little to nothing in common in those areas. I refuse to subscribe to the mindset that it's always better to be involved with someone than to be by yourself, mainly because personal experience has shown me otherwise.

While I sometimes feel lonely, I'm generally OK with being by myself. What I find irksome is that the older I get, the greater the number of people who consider it strange that I've never been married, or that I haven't been in a relationship lately. And they rarely hesitate to make their feelings known to me!

So, how do I deal with the irritation these individuals often make me feel? My instinct is to tell them to mind their own fucking business, but often I'm in situations where that simply is not an option. (Like when I'm making a delivery to one of my employer's longtime clients.)

So Dr. K, what would you recommend that I do?