Some people are relationship hoppers; when one relationship ends they just slide into another and another and another.
I used to be that person, I loved being in a relationship so much that I would seize any opportunity to have one—even if it meant that I’d be in a crappy relationship. But once I realized that being in an unhealthy relationship sucked so much worse than being alone and single, I changed my tune. Now that’s not to say that I’m anti-relationships or boycotting them; I’ve just come to the realization that the next guy I call my boyfriend ought to be truly worthy of the title.
Unfortunately, while I’ve had my fair share of flings and dates over the past 3 years, I have not met that man yet. I’d be lying if I said that it doesn’t get tiresome being single sometimes, especially when you’re surrounded by couples. And slowly but surely, when your friends start to get engaged and married one by one, apprehension begins to set in.
The fear is created that your single status is going to be a permanent one. But, I’m here to tell all of the serially single people out there to relax. Even if you’re the only single person out of your friends, you’re not the only single person in the world. Even if it’s been years since you’ve had a relationship, that doesn’t mean you’re never going to have one again.
Trust me, I understand the concern. I even followed Rachel and Phoebe’s suit from that one Friends episode and asked a buddy of mine the other night if he would be my backup if I wasn’t married by the time I was 40. Little did he know, I was only half-joking. But, my point is that much of the rationale behind this fear is that you’re the only one in this boat, you’re the only one feeling this way, and you’re alone, alone, alone. It’s just not true. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report in 2014, 50.2% of the population and 124.6 million Americans ages 16 or older were single. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take those odds.
These are the most common thoughts of the serially single.
1. When you first become single
2. When it’s been 6 months and you’re still single
3. When it’s a year later and you’re still single
4. Whenever you meet a new guy
5. When he asks you on a date
6. When he shows his true colors and it doesn’t work out
7. When you go through 5 more guys that are just like him
8. When another friend gets engaged, your first reaction
9. Your second reaction
10. Whenever all of your friends are doing things with their significant others
11. When you've been single for two years and you envision your future
12. How that image makes you feel
13. When you remember that you can do whatever you want
14. When you hear about your friend’s relationship problems and you remember that being in a relationship isn’t all flowers and roses
15. When it’s been 3 years of being single and you’re finally at peace with it
