My husband, Fred, passed away 11 years ago. Today I am 80 years old, and you will almost never find me home alone at night.

Every single night, unless I have papers to grade for my classes at Yale and Princeton, I make sure that I have something to do. And if there’s nothing on my plate, I usually go over to Lincoln Center, walk up to one of the box offices, and see what single tickets there are available.

Yes, this is easier to do because I’m Dr. Ruth. I get a flood of invitations, and box office managers will almost always find me a seat. But ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you that if I were not famous, you would still not find me sitting at home at night. I have always had a large network of friends, and so can you.

I also know that I must sing for my supper; that is to say, I can’t just sit there but must stir the pot and create active conversation to recompense the people who go out with me if I want them to be available the next time.

So how does my example apply to you? First of all, you have to disconnect yourself from that so-called lifeline for the lonely, the TV. There is no TV show that is better than being out and about with real people. Certainly if you have a favorite show you can record it for later viewing, but my advice is to drop that attitude altogether. Life should be your favorite show.

Second, drop the word "tired" from your vocabulary, especially if you want to lose the word "lonely." If you’re around other people, you’ll be able to tap into their energy—all together you can create so many sparks that you’ll never want the evening to end. But if you retreat to your home because you’re "tired," then by the end of the evening the only thing you’ll be is "even more tired." And it won’t be physically tired, but emotionally drained.