Life On Your Own Can Be Good

Flower Garden Across the Street

It is much easier to live alone than with a spouse, children, other family members or roommates. There are some people who cannot tolerate being alone all the time. Research says if you live alone you won’t live as long, but I don’t necessarily believe the so called “research” of anything. Then they turn around and tell you that stress will kill you. Where do most people have stress come from? Other people or bills, I think! I am definitely an introvert. I always have been and always will be. I hate noise. If I am listening to something of my own choice, like music or a television show, it is not for the constant noise. Some people have to keep a television going just to have that noise around them. Not me! If someone calls me on the telephone, I have to shut off my television or music. I cannot have that sound on in the background. It is distracting to me to be talking to someone and watching television at the same time. I can only concentrate on one sound at a time. I used to have two different friends who always had their televisions going and loudly. I would be stressed from trying to understand what they were talking about, that by the time we got home, I just wanted quiet. Not to talk to anyone.

kat's Kitchen

I have lived with other people through out my whole life. Parents, brother, friends, boyfriends, husbands, child, etc. I am the type of person who likes to put things away as soon as I am done with it. I do not like to leave dirty dishes overnight in my sink or on my counter and stove top. Everything has a place and when I cook, I normally put everything away before sitting down to eat. The same with my clothing. Hang it up or put it in my laundry basket. If I see myself start slipping on this, I make it a point to clean it up and then stick to it. As I am getting older, it is easy to just pile clothes that I just wore on a chair. I am trying not to do this. Sometimes I am just so tired by bed time, but if I know I will be wearing the same thing the next morning, I will set it on my vanity stool which is right next to my bed.

Huge Windows and High Ceilings

Since I moved to this apartment last year, I am better able to keep my home pretty clean. I am in a studio apartment that is very small. It does not seem that small to me since it has huge windows along almost one whole wall. And high ceilings above the windows. The ceilings are three levels and it makes it feel like it has more space. At 338 square feet it really is quite small. The bathroom is large though with a walk in shower. The biggest bathroom I have ever had in my whole life. The kitchen is a good size too, separate from the rest of the apartment. Not an eat in one though. Pretty easy for me to keep the place clean and neat all the time. I have uncluttered constantly since moving and before I moved also. I sold a lot of things on eBay for a number of years. Still had a lot to get rid of when I moved though. Even afterwards, I have gotten rid of more things. If I do not use it, then I try to sell it. If I sell it, I use that money to pay down my debt that I had from my previous life.

Downtown Norwich, NY

It gives me peace of mind to live in my own space. Bills paid, food to eat, air conditioning in the hot weather and heat in the cold. Living downtown in a small city, also gives me an option to shop when I need something. Not owning a vehicle affords me that extra money for those things I want, but not affordable if I had to pay for the “privilege” of driving. I do have someone in my life who will drive me anywhere I want to go. All I have to do is ask. Though I am still trying to arrange my own transportation locally, just in case I had to do it on my own. The bus system here and two taxicab companies are available to me. I have not experimented with either one as of yet.

katlupe

Just because you are a woman of a certain age does not mean you cannot be happy living alone. If you have never lived alone it is a whole new experience. Being able to do what you want, when you want and not have to ask someone else if it is okay or what they think about it. Not have to beg someone to try it your way. If you decide to do something on impulse you can do it in a minute. Nobody to ask. Just do whatever you please. Not ending up in a big argument over it. Deciding to pay off my debt without reusing what I pay off to live has been very nice. It was one of those things that caused a huge conflict before I moved here. Now I am seeing that light at the end of the tunnel!

Copyright © 2019 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2019  Kathleen G. Lupole