Attention Midlife and Single Women: Author Ann Harrison wants to ask you a question

Well, I guess the biggest fear is of dying alone and being eaten by an Alsatian -- no wait, that's Bridget Jones' biggest fear.

But it's there for all of us, I would think (minus the Alsatian). I once mentioned this fear to another single friend of mine, and he said "everyone dies alone" -- when I said that married people didn't, he said that half of them do! So I think this is just part of existing. To allay this fear, I've been trying to read and think about death, and accepting it as a part of life. I'm trying to discover whether I can come to terms with it before it happens.

I worry that there won't be anyone to take care of me if I get sick or feeble, but I'm one of those "I don't want to be a burden" people anyway, so when I can no longer care for myself I plan to already have a place to go to (unless this occurs today, because I haven't actually done anything about it yet).

But again, I think these are universal fears, the fear of the unknown, the fear of death. I actually picture my retirement as really pleasant. I own a house, I have my pets, I have always been a homebody, so I envision a lot of reading and relaxing and playing with animals and socializing with friends and just generally enjoying my leisure time. I have a good retirement plan and I live in hope that we'll elect a Democratic president who will make sure that I get my social security.

Basically, I have created a life that I really like, and that's what allays many of my fears about the future.

Catherine http://ourladyofperfection.blogspot.com

my biggest fear since i was 8 was dying...it doesn´t matter if alone or not and if an alsatian was there...I am 45 now and the biggest fear remaisn the same and now extended to my only son...

I am 52, single and childless. Would you believe that it is the care of my elderly cat & dog....cat is 16 and dog is 12. They are wonderful pets & have added so much to my live, but have some heath problems. I have asked a friend to care for them should I predecease them and have designated such in my estate plan, but I still worry..

Dying alone after years of having no one visit me. I know alot of people now at this time in my life but I worked in a nursing home for years and there were people there I felt sooo badly for. I tried to spend as much time as I could with them but I was extremely over worked and underpaid and don't miss my nursing career one day. Thank God I had the oppertunity to expand my education and get a new career. I just think that as a civilized society we should have developed by now better ways of making everyone, regardless of the way their life worked out, feel like they have lots of companionship. I think we have isolated people from each other far too much. Not directly, but through tons of tv channels, everyone in one car. That sort of thing. People get forgotten and fall thru the cracks. Some people I have met are just not strong enough to make the efforts for themselves to stay connected to others in some way. And we should not be looking at these kinds of people and saying things like, " well tough luck for them". Too many people are too lonely. I am going to try to help change this. In many less fortunate places I have visited, there is a much stronger sense of community. The people care where everyone is and how they are whether or not they have kids. etc.

I forgot to say that being eaten by an Alsatian is not one of my fears, whatever that is, and I saw Bridgette Jones. Don't remember that part. If I had to choose between drowning or being burned to death or freezing, I would choose freezing because aparently you just fall asleep first. Cheers, from a cold climate.

I am 52, I am working full time, but am penniless, in debt, and overdrawn. I am not a flake or a spender. I was married to a man who was unmotivated to take care of himself, let alone me. I had a serious illness which resulted in hopitalization, then unemployment three years ago. Used credit to live on for a year, plus medical debt. Now I'm working again, but they cut our salaries 12% due to the financial crisis. But no one cut my expenses 12%. I rent a room from a condo-owner. I bring my lunch to work. I cannot afford to get my oil changed, or the deductable on a mammogram. I am single, childless, uneducated and poor!It was not supposed to be this way. But I work full time and try to be a contributing member to society. The joke is: YOU ALL will end up paying for me to be in a county facility!