As I've said, my life is my choice and I completely agree it isn't for everyone. I look at my parents marriage and my sisters marriage and I am very happy for both of them. But I can't put myself in their place and pretend that it would be what I want.
You found what you wanted, perhaps later in life than you would have preferred but the important thing is that you found it. That's the ideal outcome for everyone. It has made your life complete and given you happiness and contentment and I'm very happy for you. I realize that your advice is based on your hope that I find something like that myself. And I truly appreciate your sentiment. But your dreams aren't mine.
True. I think some posters here forget that marriage was almost mandatory in earlier generations. Now that people have a choice (especially women), things have changed. There have always been “lifelong bachelors” and “spinster aunts”.