Happy Being Alone
What's wrong with being single?Well, a whole lot, if you go by what you see and hear around you. Whether you watch TV, go to the cinema, or listen to friends and family, messages promoting couplehood prevail. Visit any bookstore and you'll find dozens of books about relationships; how to keep them together, how to grieve the loss of a loved one, how to find and keep the "perfect" mate, how to satisfy your lover sexually, and the list goes on and on. Rarely will you find books on being single unless they relate to healing some aspect of yourself in preparation for a relationship.
Society expects every man and woman to wed, preferably before the age of 30, and to have at least one child (two is perfect). Even though the term "old maid" is no longer politically correct, many still respond with surprise if an older woman remains unhitched. Single women are supposed to date regularly. If not, friends, family, and coworkers love to set singles up with blind dates (and we all know how satisfying those are). It's practically screaming at us from every corner - it's not okay to be alone.
Now don't get me wrong; being in a loving relationship has its benefits, no doubt about that. And the future of the human race hinges on our ability to reproduce at a steady rate. There is nothing wrong with being in a relationship. But there is nothing wrong with not being in relationship either. Singles are not undesirable, immoral, child-loathing social recluses with toxic personalities. Many singles lead perfectly happy, fulfilling lives by choice.
Besides, not all relationships are dandy. Couplehood can be marvellous as long as there is mutual respect and some communication and conflict-management skills. Unfortunately, few relationships share all of these characteristics, leaving many people unhappy.
Being single can be a rejuvenating experience. It gives us the opportunity to discover who we are, what we do and don't like, how we deal with things, what we want out of life, what our expectations are, what our potentials are, and what energizes and empowers us. By learning to love and care for ourselves, we don't have to hunger for someone else to fill the void in our souls; a void that only we can truly fill. The purpose of entering into a relationship should be to share oneself with another person as opposed to trying to get from someone what is lacking in ourselves.
So if you're single, why not make the most of it? Enjoy yourself! You can be alone and happy and successful.
posted by JL @ 7:13 PM
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