I’m 40, single, don’t have children – and I’m happy. Why is that still controversial? With a good career, her own home and plenty of friends, Emma John is more than content with her life. So why can’t people accept that? 2 May 2021 • 6:00am 'At 40, I was assumed to be panicking about my fertility. But I’d never been desperate to be a mother' Credit: Dunja Opalko I’ve always hated organising my own birthday celebrations. If there’s one thing I loathe about being single, it’s the awful wait as you sit in a pub trying to defend your table, while would-be invaders glance at the empty chairs with annoyance and pity.