Monday 21 June 2010

On Being Single

There's that word again. Single. As if it was a disease or something. Just as well I don't look my age, or I'd be getting a lot more of those sympathetic glances that hurt more than they help.

I was going to say it came about through something-or-other, but that doesn't work, because I've never been anything else but single, barring a couple of long-distance relationships that didn't really come up to scratch. So it can't have "come about" at all. Although, and I'm certain of this, it has been sustained by a factor or two, such as spending seven years of my twenties in Germany, where there was a shocking dearth of nice guys who weren't already taken.

I admit, I had three proposals while I was there: from an old man, a mental patient, and an illegal immigrant. I shall be so bold as to say I don't think any of those count.

Of course one is never prevented from standing on the beach if one is alone, nor other beautiful things. I write, and beat my bodhran, and make sticky chocolate pudding, and share my bed with the cat.

But occasionally, this state of constant aloneness frustrates me. I twitch and pace and fidget and eat chocolate and go shopping when I don't really need to and let my mother talk me into expensive holidays, although that has always ended up to be a good thing so far.

It doesn't help that I work at home in both of my chosen careers and never have to leave the house except to fetch food and go to church. I spend nearly all my time in church writing stories, by the way; I find the atmosphere very inspirational, to say the least. Or is it that there are no distractions there as there always are at home?

There's always God, I suppose. He's around here somewhere. Doesn't go away, and all that. But I don't bother him much. We just enjoy a companionable silence, for the most part, and I think I have an understanding with him that it's okay.

I am well aware there are definite advantages to the singleness thing, and I enjoy them to the full. Particularly the no-kids thing. It may not last forever, and I would not want it to, but I want to make the most of this state of relative freedom to run after dreams and blog in the middle of the night and sleep at odd hours because I can. It's wonderful.

Pretty much all of my best friends are of the online type, that is, they do not live in the same country as me. If you're reading this, chances are you're one of them.

Every email, every @reply tweet, every comment on a blog or Facebook, is like a handshake or a steady look in the eyes or a high five.

So don't be a stranger. Leave me a virtual mark of your presence in my life. What do you have to say about singleness?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just the other day a friend mentioned to me how much she loved all the free time and freedom she had being single. I had to agree… I mean sometimes I think it'd be nice to get a boyfriend, but then I'd wonder how I'd ever find the time to do all the stuff I do. I don't have enough free time as it is! Although, time spent hugging someone is never wasted.

Also, if I'd had a boyfriend five or six years ago I doubt very much that I would have moved to the other side of the world. Geez, I would have had such a boring life.

C.L. Dyck said...

I've pretty much decided that if I outlive Dave (which is likely), I'd have no reason to seek another. While it's been rewarding, it's not exactly convenient, working one's life into a mesh with someone else. I don't want to start over with that later in life. And I want to go and do everything I didn't do before.

Single is something I look forward to -- in what way, I'm not sure yet, but I expect it to happen. Perhaps I'll move to NZ. :~)

Teresa Dawn said...

I love being single :) I have an extremely close relationships with God. I live 5 minutes drive away from my parents and younger siblings and absolutely love my coworkers as well, I am very close to all of them depsite the fact that they range from teenagers to 60 year olds (both male and female) we're like one big family. I don't feel the need to have a boyfriend/husband. People have, at times, pressured me to try and find someone, but honestly, I don't want to. I like my independance.

I do want kids though, I want to raise them as a single parent and would adopt in a heartbeat if I had the funds but for now I'm still saving.

Grace Bridges said...

A - Indeed. Here's to your exciting life!

C - A sobering thought. But yeah, you can come live with me!

T - Interesting. I've often wondered if I could adopt as a single. I'm following your blog now!