Huckleberry said:
I'm 32 and haven't had any long term relationships. I have never lived in one place for more than a few years at a time. I've been perfectly happy with that until about 2 or 3 years ago. Now I think is the right time for me to become involved in a commited relationship. I'm just not very outgoing and have yet to meet the right woman. I'm not in any hurry.
A voice from the past - my past.
That was eleven years ago for me. At the time I was the only one among my friends and co-workers who had never been married. I can still vividly recall the day I made some comments similar to those quoted above. It was at work, and there were men and women present at the time. The women didn't say much in reply. The men said nothing at all - until the women left the room. Then they pounced on me like religious zealots. Like lost souls in hell, they argued, conjoled, and pleaded with me to never get married. I have to say, it was very unnerving. It really kind of freaked me out.
In the years since then, an appreciation for my independence has grown. At a later job, there developed a sort of Monday morning ritual involving the married men and myself. They would gather around me and ask what I had done over the weekend. I would tell them the mundane truth: I stayed in bed 'till I felt like getting up. It was close to lunchtime so I went out to eat. On the way I felt like going for a long drive instead, so I drove a hundred miles to a nice restaurant I knew of. After lunch I passed by a state forest and felt like hiking, so I did. Then I drove home and took a nap. Fairly boring really, but the married men were green with envy.
You know what they say about the grass being greener on the other side of the fence (it's been peed on). But from a single man's perspective, I think there are advantages to being married. Just a few examples: I have literally not had a home cooked meal in years. When my truck breaks down I have no one to call, so I walk. I wanted to try sedation dentistry for a root canal, but had no one to drive me home, so I did without the sedation. When a loved one passes away, I grieve alone in an empty apartment (and that, my friends, is
loneliness).
Hey Huck, if the ladies will leave us for a moment, I'll tell you something else, man to man. In the area of physical romance, the thirties are the best time in a man's life. You are more mature, worldly and experienced, yes, but also consider the numbers. Women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are attracted to a man in his thirties, albeit for different reasons. And think about all those women married in their 20s who are now getting divorced. I am very average looking and had average success with women in my 20s, but I kid you not that from age 32-38, women treated me like Elvis. One word of warning: The married women are the most aggressive, but beware! There are too many single ones to make a mistake like that.
Quaoar said:
I disagree, you should only seek professional help if you always desire being alone and suffer from depression. I think it's perfectly normal for people to live solitary lives if it makes them happy.
Thank you, Quaoar, for pointing this out. Where would science and the arts be without the solitary thinkers?
"It's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened."
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn