13 months ago, I was quite content to be on my own, for however long it may be. I had been single for 8 years, had a 10.5 yr old ds, had had a few flings but nothing serious and had finally become very content in myself.
About a year before I had joined a group who all had an interest in a very niche subject. Once a month there is a meet-up at a local pub for people interested in said subject. On 3rd of Sept last year, I had nipped out to talk to someone who was smoking, and while I was out there got chatting to someone else in the group, but whom I had never met before. We spoke for 20 minutes that night, he was on his way home as he lived (lives) about an hour away. We spoke online every night that week, and on the Friday met up for a drink. That drink turned into 4-5 hours of chatting. At the beginning of this month, we celebrated our first anniversary.
I didnt settle for the first person to show an interest, I didnt lower expectations or standards. I had no reason to 'hook up' with anyone, because I was happy as I was. However the last year has been amazing. We still live about an hour apart, we talk nightly (and I do mean every night) either on the phone or online. See each other every week at least once (I can count on one hand the number of weeks we havent managed this, somehow or another). He treats me like a princess and I let him, something I would never have accepted in the past, and probably now wouldnt accept from anyone else.
Oh, and I was 33 at the time, he was 29. But definitely not on the scrap heap, as he has proved this past year. In fact, it has probably definitely been the best year of my life, in so many ways.
In short, try and find a group based around an interest you have that have regular meet ups, but not too often (monthly is good), so you are not trying to constantly sort babysitter. Go and enjoy yourself at said group, meet new people, make new friends. Dont go looking for a partner, go for friendship, adult time and time to be you, not mum or any other hat you may wear. In time you may well meet someone, or more than one someone, that catches your eye. If not, you will have a wider circle of friends and hopefully ones who arent causing you to doubt your singleness, as that is how they will always have known you.