I don’t usually get very bothered about society’s view on single people, as at nineteen I don’t plan on getting married very soon. But after spending a day as one of two single people in a group of ten, I can now assert that I am not a fan of society’s view on single people. Especially when those single people are freshmen in college — is it really such a bad thing that I am sans boyfriend at present? I was starting to feel like Bridget in Bridget Jones’ Diary when she has to eat dinner with the Smug Marrieds. Which, you have to admit, is quite a winning title to give people.
(Before anyone freaks out, it’s not like I was massively uncomfortable yesterday. I just wanted to point this out. Anyway, onward.)
One view that I don’t get is how, when you’re single, all of your friends of the opposite gender come under scrutiny. I’ll mention one of my best guy friends, and I can see the eyebrows going up. Oooh, so what’s going on with those two? is on the tip of a few too many tongues. Honestly, if one were to try and set me up with all of my guy friends, it would rapidly approach breaking the law. Or just a lot of painfully awkward situations, and I encounter more than enough of those.
Also, the whole single-people-are-secretly-defective is just plain untrue. Sometimes single people are picky. Sometimes they’re busy. Sometimes they just haven’t met the right person. Sometimes they’re not even in the mood to find the right person at the present moment in time. One of my favorite guy friends once told me, “Single is the way to be, Rachel!” Which may or may not be true, but we’re both single and having fun. At least, I am.
Besides, as I announced to my family, the likelihood of someone wanting to sweep me off my feet — a bassoon-playing, obsessively-reading, liberal Christian — seem statistically very slim. And there’s so much repertoire left to learn! I’m sure you can see where this is going.
I’ve always enjoyed being swept of my feet. It’s just, I don’t know, you don’t have to tell me that I should strive for that?
