Looks like another one has hit the dust. And this time, it just might be me.

After decades of believing that romantic love is the essence of life – a magical gift that not only powers a rosy perspective but also generates a kaleidoscope of light that amplifies beauty, hope and connection – today, I’m not so sure.

More than half of single over-50s are content despite the absence of a committed partner.Credit: ISTOCK

I reckon I could comfortably join an ever-growing list of friends who openly say they are done, no longer interested in a romantic relationship whatsoever.

A lot of this has to do with age. I’m now in my 50s, as are most of the people I socialise with, and after some three-odd decades of engaging in mating, dating and relating, my friends and I are over the drama. And the compromise. And the expectations. We are also over the hurt.

Sex, too, no longer holds the power it once did. Yes, it’s still something desirable, but at what cost? For many, the price is just too high when it intrudes on freedom.

At first, I didn’t really believe my friends actually meant they were giving up. I thought, like me, they........

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