I am an only child, I have now reached the age of Eighty Years and have been a bachelor all those years and at no time have I regretted being an only child. My parents were not in any way different from their peers of that period. My father was a soldier and was serving in India at the time of my conception, my mother decided that she would return to England for the birth. My very early years were spent in military married quarters as my father was a warrent officer and thus entitled to accommodation. I went to an Army school where very strict discipline was maintained, but the education stood me in good stead for later life. At the age of eight I was sent to prep school as a full time border and it was excellent. At the age of ten thanks to the sacrifice of my father and mother I was sent to one of the best Public Schools in the country, I was in my element I prospered, due to my background and the fact that I had always been used to my own company and at no time did I have to refer to, or involve myself with siblings.
I left school; as head boy and went straight into the Army and over the next twenty one years I rose to senior warrant rank, I achieved this rank at a quite young age, when I left the service, I returned to the UK and because I was not happy with the state of the country I went to France and offered my services to the Foreign Legion and was accepted and where I spent the next ten years and reached the highest rank that as a non French national one can reach in the Legion. Upon leaving I returned to the UK and went into industry and had my own company.
I am aware that this E mail will sound like a trumpet blowing exercise but I want to state that being an only child is no bar at all to making a success of your life. My own personal view is that being an only child empowers you to do with your life as YOU want, and not having to have regard to what your siblings may say. In closing for what its worth being an only child has allowed me to remove myself from family ties of any kind, I have no contact with any member of my family, and all in all life is very very good.
