Happy Singles Awareness Day
February 14th, 2008
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Photo by Sister72
Along with millions of other people, I’ll be celebrating Singles Awareness Day on Friday, February 15. (This date is not universally recognized, as some people prefer the 13th or 14th.)
I wasn’t even aware of this holiday until I read a somewhat strange post by Tim Ferriss, No Girl? How to Express Your Man Crush on Valentine’s Day Instead. I sure wasn’t going to get one of those T-shirts, but I thought the holiday was an interesting concept.
Apparently, some people celebrate Singles Awareness Day as a form of self-deprecating humor, or out of spite for Valentine’s Day. I don’t think that’s a good idea at all. But I think it’s a good time to remember that being single is not inherently wrong.
In Exploring Relationships with the Single Weirdo, Craig Harper talks about how everyone reacts to his being single in his early 40s. It’s pretty entertaining and he has some good points about how being single is not a bad thing for everyone.
Somehow it seems to be almost mandatory that you marry whoever you happen to be with when you reach the right age. Hmmm, what’s the U.S. divorce rate again? While being single may not be ideal for everyone, I think it’s always better than marrying the wrong person.
Unfortunately, the biological clock puts pressure on people to get married quickly. I can’t remember where I saw this, but I read a comic strip that illustrated this perfectly. It was just a single frame, and a lady was talking to her daughter after the daughter had an argument with her father. The lady said “I know he’s not a very nice daddy, but I was 35.”
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February 15th, 2008 at 2:32 am
Well, that’s a new one I hadn’t heard of.
There is nothing wrong with being single. This is the time of your life when you can do what you want, when you want and don’t have to answer to anyone. Once you get married and have children, that’s when the added responsibilities show up. Then, it shouldn’t be “all about you”. (although for some, it still is).
That is a cute joke at the end of your post.
Enjoy your celebration!
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February 15th, 2008 at 10:21 am
OMG – that woman with the child cracked me up. Do people really get that desperate?
It seems they’re inventing a day for everything now. Surely most of us are already aware that single people exist?
CatherineL’s last blog post..Authenticity in Business and Other Lies
February 15th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Barbara, I’ve noticed that when some people get married, they completely stop saying “I” and replace it with “we,” even in conversations that have nothing to do with their spouse. It’s interesting to see who thinks it’s all about them personally, who thinks it’s all about both of them, and who switches back and forth.
Catherine, I guess it’s not just Hallmark who can invent holidays. If we start seeing Hallmark cards for Singles Awareness Day, then I’ll say we’ve definitely gone too far.
February 16th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
This is an interesting post, Hunter. I was single – and a solo mum – for many years between my main relationships. And it was a very productive time in my life.
I think that there is a big difference between the genders in this respect. I know so many women who get to their late thirties and then realize that their time for having a child is running out. The desperation that can come from that doesn’t always make for good choices…
February 16th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Mary, glad to hear you had a good time being single. It must have been difficult raising a child solo, but you say it was a very productive time for you, so you must have done exceptionally well.
I’m not sure how much difference there is between the genders in this respect. While men sometimes marry much younger women, the typical age difference is 2 years. So if a guy’s approaching 40, his most likely potential wives are in their late thirties. He better marry one of them fast if he wants a child. Of course, he could possibly marry someone younger, some people don’t want to have kids, and some people want to adopt.
At any rate, I think that desperation is never a helpful thing in making good choices.