I recently had lunch with a friend who was telling me how she was finally dating the guy of her dreams and how happy she was. Then, all of a sudden, amidst the giggles and smiles, she gets straight-faced and looks me dead in the eye, and says to me, “I’m sorry I’m so happy, I know you’re single.”
She made it sound like I just spent my days moping around because of my current relationship status. While I’m willing to admit that I’m the most single person on the planet, I mean, really, I should win some type of award for my current level of singleness, I’m not willing to admit that I’m unhappy, because quite frankly, I’m not. Just because I don’t have a boyfriend doesn’t mean I sit in my room and cry, waiting for someone to come find me. First of all, that’s not going to find me a boyfriend, and secondly, not having a boyfriend really doesn’t bother me that much.
The fact that I’m single isn’t holding me back in life or doesn’t make me feel defective like most people think it should. Because I’m single, I don’t have to share my bed…. Someone remind me why I would be unhappy about that?
Sure, because I’m single I might be missing out on romantic dates to Mount Washington, a sweet dinner for two at The Porch, or finding flowers outside my room on our 23rd-day anniversary. Because I’m single I don’t have that one person to call when I’m sad or when I just need someone to go to Market with.
While these things might sound like a downside to most, I feel lucky not to have these things. Because I’m single, I’m kept on my toes, and I have to find someone to get dinner with every night. Because I’m single I can focus on school. Because I’m single my phone battery life is amazing, because I don’t have someone texting me asking what I’m doing every five seconds. Because I’m single I have time to read a good book. Because I’m single I can go on long runs on Saturday mornings. Because I’m single I can still hang out with my guy friends. Because I’m single I can study abroad and not worry about how it will affect my relationship. Because I’m single I don’t have to worry about planning my future around someone else.
Because I’m single, I can be me.