Single

Today is my anniversary, 1 whole honest to God year of being single. Happy anniversary to me! Last year, I came out of a long term serious relationship, my first and my only. Since then, it has stunned me how many advantages there are to being single. It has also stunned me how being single again highlighted all those things that I seem to have not taken note of when I was single before. Naturally, it also highlighted the advantages of being in a relationship although I am by all means enjoying my “singularity” more, pun intended. So here I am, talking about myself as usual, and there is this huge list of amazing advantages of being single that I am dying to just spill. Without further ado, here goes:

1. This is the most obvious; YOU DON’T GET TO SHARE YOUR LIFE! Everything you do is yours, you do things for yourself, because you want to do them and because you like them. You don’t have to do things with another person if you don’t want to. You don’t have to say everything that ever happened to you or else you’re feeling guilty or hiding information, and you do not have to watch a movie you don’t like because someone else likes it. You own and control your life, no compromises!
2. You DON’T have to consider someone else in everything. You don’t have to think if s/he likes this or would agree to that, you don’t have to keep something you want to say to yourself because it would get complicated or sensitive or any other word describing a headache.
3. You don’t have people that tell you what to do and what not to do, or at least you don’t have to care about what they say without getting into a fight. You can always ignore anyone else’s “suggestions” and live your life just the way you want to live it.
4. You don’t have to nag or be nagged to. Friends don’t nag, couples do. There is always something to be nagged about or you’re always nagging about something. Being in a relationship means your life has become strongly correlated with someone else’s; there are requirements of both parties that end in nagging when these requirements are not met. It’s normal and acceptable but what a hassle!
5. You don’t have to deal with people you don’t want to deal with outside work. We always have to deal with people we don’t want to deal with at work. It’s ok from 9 to 5. After that, why would anyone want to put themselves in a position where they have to deal with someone else’s cousin or annoying friends’ husbands? Not to mention, you can’t just go say: “I don’t like you” to them. That’s just oppression!
6. You don’t have to take permission, give a report when you go somewhere, when you get back, do something outside, or even take a friggin’ shower. It may be a bit of an exaggeration on my end but let’s face it; I toned it down for some cases.
7. You are not tied down. You can go work abroad, travel a lot, and meet new people. You can do things at weird hours like work shifts, go for 3 am walks, play the guitar at 5 am, and have pizza for breakfast. There is no set of rules that humans must follow when you’re alone. You can just live sideways!
8. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ANYONE ELSE BUT YOURSELF. You don’t have to change your traits, improve your wardrobe, wear makeup, talk about soccer and politics, or change the way you talk. You don’t have to change the way you think to fit someone else’s idea of smart, change the way you act to fit someone else’s idea of appropriate, and you most definitely don’t have to try or change anything in yourself so to get someone else’s approval.
9. And finally, my personal favorite, you don’t have to flirt with only one person ;) (that was a joke)

So to all you single people out there, enjoy your singularity and take advantage of it as much as you can. To all you people in relationships, enjoy their perks, for they do have quite a few, and be grateful for them. And at the end of this blessed anniversary, I thank God twice as much as I do every day for being single and for enjoying it

Technorati Tags: Single,Relationship,lessons,singularity,fun,lifestyle