Ever since I had my first crush when I was 8-years-old, I thought that around the age of 16 I would start dating. It seemed like the average age that all of my favorite Disney Channel characters started getting love interests, so I assumed that this applied to real life too.

Well, 16 came and went and I was still hopelessly single. And so did 17. And 18. All of my friends had gone through relationships and breakups and some were having sex already. Meanwhile, I couldn't even say that I had held hands with someone romantically before.

Needless to say, I felt a bit alienated and just plain weird. I thought there was something wrong with me.

This all changed after I had my first kiss at the age of 19. All the movies show kissing as something that transforms you. Once two characters in a movie kiss, you generally assume that they're going to be together forever.

In reality, it was a bit awkward, yet still sweet and stomach-butterfly-inducing. But the most important thing that I took from that experience was that it really wasn't that big of a deal. It was a great feeling, but my life wasn't dramatically altered afterward.

I believe that both having started dating at the "socially acceptable" time and after is 100% fine. You're not weird or unlovable if you're still single. There are advantages to both.

Dating in high school prepares you for the adult world by giving you relationship experience. That way, you're not going in blind when you are older. Also, some people meet their spouses in high school. My friend is even engaged to a guy she started dating in middle school!

However, being single during high school teaches independence. There are some people I knew in high school that were so used to being in relationships that they just bounced from one to the other because they couldn't deal with being alone.

Also, relationships take up so much time. Not having to worry about being with another person all the time does free up your schedule so you have more time for friends, clubs, and homework.

But despite these advantages, people look down on those that are in their late teens or older and have never been in a relationship before. I personally have been laughed at, talked down to, and pitied because of my singleness.

Teens already have enough insecurities as it is. They don't need more.

This whole thing is just to say this: Even if you're older than 19 and haven't been in a relationship, you're normal. If you've never been in a relationship and don't want one, you're normal.

Though dating someone is a nice feeling, it's not necessary for a complete and happy life. Trust me, when you do have your first kiss and/or date, you'll realize that it isn't as big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be.

Whether you first started dating at 12 or 22 or 32, you're normal. Everyone experiences different parts of life at different paces and nothing good will come out of comparing your experiences to others'.