Single or Lonely??

Cold morning wind was hitting me right on the face while I cruised the highway at not so harsh speed. Early morning cruising on this road was a bliss. Not only this road, I love cruising on any road. It makes me relax from all those stress and worries. Every road leads to somehwere, and now this road was leading me away from home, to my second abode, what a bachelor calls as his Room, eventhough the place can make an adequate home for a family. May be I need a real partner to bring myself to call it a home. This thought brings to me the usual question that has been plaguing me for quite sometime. Am I single or lonely?

It has been more than a year since I have been staying away from home. Some people may defer with me on it. Because I stay just 50kms far from my parents place and I visit them every week on my day-offs. Being the only child has its own boons and curses. Boon would be that you don't have the necessity to share the things given to you, that includes your parent's love too. Everything given to you is exclusively for you to have and enjoy. But not too far is the bad part of being the only child. Right from day one of your infancy you are alone in everything. Having a mom who is a little over-protective adds to that. You don't realize it untill you grow up and get the urge to go out and explore the world. My realization came to its senses while at college. I had to look for nearby colleges while trying for admission and later when i need to make a overnight stay at my friend's room, I had some hard time convincing my mom for it. But I didn't know it was just the beginning of it. Now after getting into a job, I needed to look for a place to stay pretty much inside the city limits, yes, I was tired of staying in a distant suburb with more than an hour's commute time. Atlast I found a place along with my cousin. Then came the hurdle of convincing my mom. Phew, it took more than week's time, but with an attached assurance that I will come home during my day-offs. Later into it I found the phenomenon of exploring the world on two-wheels. Being on a bike, riding through those far away lands gave me the feel of a bird flying high just to explore the beautiful vistas. My realization and hatred of being the only child grew with every trip plan I made. Reason - convincing my mom. I can't blame her, she has her own reasons to worry about, and I had my own reasons as to why I should be exploring the knowns and unknowns.

No, the plaguing question is still behind my back. Just an evening ago I happened to chat with one of my school juniors. After all those catching-up, he asked me the usual and that one question I have started to hate. "Have you got a girlfriend yet?" And my obvious answer to that, "NO". This made me wander over to the past, shifting through all those years right on from highschool. I could bring up many a reasons as to why I'm still single. Lack of healthy social life, lack of opportunities or me slightly being an introvert, being just a few. Another strange thing that I have come to notice is that, whereever I am or was, be it the college or work, I end up with a bunch of guys who are just like me, single. But another thought too came up on my wrinkled mass of flesh(read as brain), Have I started enjoying being single and fear of committments restricting me to be a single?

They say, growing up brings on more responsibilities. But what I have come to notice is that, when you grow up you seem to have lesser and lesser friends. And what does is it mean to a guy who is already an only child of the family, staying away from home, and doesn't have much social life???

Am I Single or Lonely?