I have a friend who recently met someone he thought was ‘pretty cool’. This in itself is a big deal considering how fussy he is. Unfortunately, the situation went nowhere for reasons I’m not entirely sure about because I had to agree with him – the guy did seem cool (C’est la vie – see articles one through five on relationships).
It got me thinking about the reasons we stay single, and I’ve come up with ten that apply to everyday life.
1) The remote control – I get to watch all the shows that I like, and as a side benefit, I always know where the TV guide is.
2) My apartment – When people break up real estate is often the first thing that is split in two. I get to keep mine.
3) My bed – I can star fish. Enough said. Bed benefits also include full pillow and duvet access. Also I can eat in bed without anyone telling me not to.
4) My Bathroom – Whether it’s clean or dirty, I always know what to expect when I walk into it. Side benefits – no one uses up my expensive colognes and the room is filled with magazines I like. It makes for a beautiful life.
5) My bank account – I make my money and spend it accordingly. If I accidentally spend too much on trainers, jeans and drinks, I don’t have to justify it.
6) My Career – It’s my focus and my project, but it doesn’t define me or replace the fact that I don’t have a partner. Because I am single, however, it gets as much time as I’d like to put in it.
7) My Friends – You can live without romance, but you gotta have friends – prove me wrong. In the absence of anything meaningful with one person, I have a team to take care of my needs (well, most of them anyway).
8) My decisions at IKEA – I used to have a panic attack every time I bumbled my way through the store. Seeing happy couples making happy choices makes single people in a place like IKEA feel like a fish out of water – gasping for breathe and slightly uncomfortable. However, the bottom line, whether I choose the Leksvik, the Skiro or the Bankas – my coffee table, my choice.
9) My weekends – Do I stay in and vege with DVD’s and take out? Do I DIY? Visit mates? Build a rocket ship or find Nirvana? My possibilities are endless over those 48 hours and I decide how the time is spent.
10) My clothes – I have a thing about clothes… I’m a little funny when I see people wearing the same thing as me, and I sure as hell don’t share clothes. They reflect my taste and I like looking good in them.
As single people, we can’t miss relationships because we don’t have them and most of us have learnt to live without them. But if any of the above were taken away, we’d feel it because they make our lives.
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Has Brett missed anything in his take on the joys of the Single Life? Email him at brett@www.outinperth.com and tell him what you’ve stayed single or why you haven’t…
