It’s a fact that a good percentage of gossip on campus is about who is hooking up with whom. Relationships and sex are the trump topics when talking with friends. When you are constantly asked, “Are you guys ‘a thing?’ you almost feel obligated to say yes. This is a mysterious phenomenon that creates a selective pressure against being single. The single status, or at least the single hook-up status, is almost extinct in today’s society, but there is nothing wrong with being single.
First of all, many of us are single for a majority of our lives before we enter college. Relationships started to bud up for us in the middle school to high school years. You had your first girlfriend/boyfriend, first kiss and first time your parents complained that the phone bill was too high. Unfortunately, for some, that first relationship sours and there is a break-up. Despite the sadness and tears after breaking up, it is more than likely that we are thinking, “Well, what now?” Many begin to dream about their big-pimpin’ days gone by. This is where you find that being in a relationship is a drug on par with alcohol.
That last metaphor may be out of left field, but it is accurate nonetheless. Alcohol and a relationship have a minimum age to prevent negative consequences. While you are in a relationship or drinking, you get your happy buzz. On the flip side, too much of either may cause you a headache later. Relationships make us feel good, but they have downsides as well. We all know those people who can’t seem to live without it.
So why is it so hard to be single? Sometimes it is just as simple as longing to feel wanted. As humans, we all want to have a connection to someone, no matter how little the connection may be. You may want to feel this connection to combat the feeling of loneliness. Most of us want that close confidante and not to mention alleviating the frustration of having to hear my friend’s sexual ventures without the power to return the favor. If all of your friends are in significant relationships, you almost feel as if you should as well. This will sometimes cause a reaction that will have you dating a large number of random people, staying in a bad relationship because you are afraid to be single and advertising your willingness to be in a relationship through a variety of social media. There is no rulebook in life stating that every human on earth must be in bed with another human. Sometimes you just need a teddy bear and a Snuggie.
The benefits of the single life are many. When single, you are able to hang out with friends of both genders without the hassle of worrying about what your significant other thinks or if he/she is having a good time. You also won’t lose any friends if your girlfriend turns out to be a bitch to everyone but you. The number one reason that the single life is great, is that you can play the field. You can go around and meet anyone you damn well please without harassment.
Who knows, maybe during one of your misadventures you meet that special someone, but make sure he/she is worth giving up the freedom for.
These facts are all frustrating to the single community. I can not tell you the number of times that I have heard stories of relationships gone wrong, and how many people have just gone back into another bad relationship. I am not saying that I am against relationships and that everyone should be single, but rather that people should respect the single status. Not everyone wants to be in a relationship, and some single people just want to take the time to find someone.
Just like those Mormon billboards around the city, take it from me. I’m Tim Minahan, I’m the comics editor. I like engineering. And hot damn, I’m single.
