Since You Asked…
Photo: Google
By CAROLINE SPOSTO
Dear Caroline,
I’m a divorced man, 64. My kids are grown up and live in another state. I retired two years ago and have been bored and lonely ever since. I have tried going to meetups, online dating and a little volunteer work, but I haven’t made friends. I meet people, but for some reason, most of them don’t interest me. Sometimes, I get depressed about the rest of my life.
Is it my imagination, or are people less open and interesting nowadays?
…Joe
Dear Joe,
A lot of people are lonely because they reject potential friends. Often they’ll only befriend people who are 95 percent like they are while figuring they’ll work on the remaining 5 percent. Could that you be you? If you can relate to this poem, you might want to rethink things:
A Prayer for a Glass of Love
By Rich Orloff
Years ago a voice inside told me:
When you are offered a glass of love
Don’t spit it out
I confess I can’t count how many times
I’ve been offered a glass of love
and
I notice a little gunk on the rim
or
I don’t like the look of the glass
or
I’d rather be thirsty
or
What I was really hoping for
Was a glass of ego
Sometimes I don’t even notice when
A glass of love is offered me
Sometimes I ask
Does it come in another flavor?
Before I even taste the flavor being offered
Forgive me for desiring love
While rejecting it
Forgive me for demanding love
While refusing it
Forgive me for each time I forget to say
Thank for you for this glass of love
Let me bless this glass and its contents
And the divinity of the person offering
This exquisite gift
Forgive me for being so afraid
I’ll never be offered another glass of love again
That I may not notice
It’s being offered to me at this very moment.
Do you have a problem that’s been on your mind for a while? Send your questions to: questionforcaroline@gmail.com.