I’m healthy, independent and have no financial worries, but I’m lonely

I listened to Dr Swanick on the radio and was in tears. Fair play for discussing loneliness and what it means. I decided to write to make a submission and ask your group to consider giving more resources to community groups and senior citizens groups to run activities. The reason I was in tears is very simple. I am a retired public servant and have no immediate family. I do have great friends but they are busy with their own lives, their own grandchildren or other family events. Every day I go to a different coffee shop or little restaurant just to hear other people’s voices. My home phone rings about once a month when I chat with an elderly relative and my mobile only rings when I’m getting a delivery or a courier is coming to the house. I’m healthy, independently comfortable and have no financial worries, but I’m lonely. This is the first time I’ve ever said this out loud and I realised listening to Dr Swanick it is a big, big taboo. If I walked to the pharmacy this morning and told them I had any ailment, they’d have some lotion or potion for me, but if I told them I was lonely they’d probably laugh at me.