The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals. Sign up today! During his toast at my wedding, my brother made a stink about not being my best man.
What was my favorite movie? Notting Hill. Who was my high school girlfriend? How did I lose the peripheral vision in my left eye? BB gun. Finally, my brother delivered the punchline: How many friends did I have? That answer was easy. The best man. Underneath all the humiliation was a subliminal declaration of love—for me, but also for my best friend and the important role he played in my life.
Sure, I had only one close friend, but my family was tight, I was vibing with then new co-workers in Denver, and I now had a wife who was legally obligated to hang out with me.
I was thick with fulfilling relationships. My best man and I live in different states, the work-from-home revolution means I rarely see colleagues in person, and, while my wife is wonderful, I can feel her buckling under the weight of my undivided attention. Is my situation sad? Is it rare? Not at all. According to a data analysis from Chamber of Commerce, a national real estate and small business research company, Denver ranks 27th out of on the list of the loneliest cities in America, based on its percentage of one-person households.
Maybe those loners have extensive friend networks that satisfy their social needs, but the research suggests otherwise: In , 33 percent of U. Only three percent had none. Good relationships encompass all sorts of dynamics. Family, of course, which you are born with, as well as romantic partners, who are only a dating app away.
