I won’t go into the whole divorce story, but suffice it to say my ex-wife stole nearly all of my family from me, my life, unilaterally, without just cause, out of fear and paranoia and insecurity. That was almost 3 years ago.

I slowly started building up a network of friends, including some that I considered to be family. But then my ex-wife escalated our conflict based on the same irrational feelings I stated above and I was forced to find a new home elsewhere, so I moved to the Pacific Northwest from Mississippi.

My life after moving there was pretty chaotic and unstable and so far I still haven’t met anyone I would really consider to be a friend, perhaps with one exception. But without a car still and having had to move again, farther from Portland, I am nowhere close to where I really want to be, unable to go where I want, and in an even smaller pool of compatible people, male or female.

And, for the record, dating apps as a method of meeting people either suck or I just have horrible results with them. (Hearing reviews from some of the women I’ve met, it might be that it just sucks for everyone.)

So I find myself really without any family, blood or not, nearby or far away, and without any friends that aren’t thousands of miles away. I try to remember to call some of them from time to time but not being able to physically be with people that I’m close to and care about is very depressing and leaves me feeling very lonely and isolated.

I know that once I build up my resources, finally get a new car, and move to where I want to be in a place of my own, I will be in a much better position for meeting the right people. That just seems so far away right now.