“Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted are the most terrible poverty.”

– Mother Teresa, Indian nun and missionary in the Roman Catholic Church

“Some party, eh?”

“What’s that?” Rick could barely hear his buddy, Andrew over the music.

“I said, ‘Some party!’” replied Andrew, motioning to the boisterous crowd.

“Yeah,” Rick said and nodded. “Some crazy party crowd, all right.”

“I’m going to mingle,” said Andrew, slapping Rick on the back.

Rick felt like a fool. Here he was in the midst of a happy, laughing and dancing group of colleagues and he felt completely, utterly alone. A lonely man in a room filled with people.