BellaOnline Forums Relationships Single Life The downside of singlehood, part I

Yep, believe it or not, there are some things about being single that make it not all it's cracked up to be, all those "Quirkyalone" and "Living Alone and Loving It" books out there be damned.

Living with someone offers you a checks-and-balances kind of thing.

When you're solo, there's no one to look at you as you reach for the bag of Red Hot Blues in the pantry at 10:30 at night and ask you, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

There's no one to stop you from eating almost half the bag in front of your laptop and remind you that the last time you did that, you woke up in the middle of the night with a mouth that smelled and tasted like a Tijuana cantina and as dry as Mount Tam in the summer, swearing that you'll never do that again. (And even through The Kid was with me last night and was privy to the chip debauchery, he wouldn't notice because that's how 14-year-old boys eat! There's no "Whoa, Mom, lighten up!" It's normal!)

No, there's just you to monitor yourself, and, let's face it, "you" are no help � either because you're weak and can't stand up to the side of you that is very opinionated and wants what you want when you want it, or you're noncommittal � "Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do. You're a grown woman ... knock yourself out"

And then, there's no one the next morning � as you stand on the scale with a look of utter horror and disgust � to say, "Told you so!"

Oh, wait a minute ... that's a good thing! Could it be that even a negative of being single comes with a silver lining?

Anyone else have a beef with living solo?

Living solo for too long makes you self centered. I think it's true that guys are better with a woman in their life, and vice versa. When I'm dating I tend to forget that it's not just me me me all the time - when you're seeing somebody you have to adjust back to the "we". Sometimes that's a little hard and not always convenient!

I also talk to my beasts more than I should ...

And when I was married, I always made my bed. Now I never do. It's only me in it, so who cares?

But there are many upsides - I eat well because I have the dinner leftovers for lunch - I can camp by myself with the dogs and a bottle of wine, and LOVE it, and sometimes I can just listen to the sounds of silence and calm my soul.

I'm single again after nearly four years. After the initial panic attack I'm remembering why I liked single so much. :-)

Yeah, Pikasam, there are lots of benefits as well as the veering toward self-centeredness.
Can't say I ever talked to my breasts, though ...
;-)

What if you grow old... and cannot look after your self??

LOL!

This post has reminded me of a song by Catherine Britt, Australian Country Music Singer

The Upside of Being Down

I don't have to put on make up I don't have to do my hair-
And when I open up that hoggendas well I don't have to share
And there's no one there to notice If I gain a couple pounds-
That's the upside-ide of being down

I've got twice the closet space that I can fill up with new shoes
And I can paint the bedroom pretty pink with lacy curtains if I choose
And I won't have to deal with fishing gear, muddy boots laying round
That's the upside-ide of being down

Days when I'm feelin' low yeah I got 'em
When my tears won't stop falling to the ground
But there's only one place left to go-oh
When you're at the bottom
And that's the upside-ide of being down-

I can let my dog jump on the bed and curl up next to me at night-
And I don't have to lose an argument cause now I'm always right
and I can dance with who I want to when I go out on the town-
and that's the upside-ide of being down-

Days when I'm feelin' low yeah I got 'em
When my tears won't stop falling to the ground
But there's only one place left to go-oh
When you're at the bottom
And that's the upside-ide of being down-

yeah-eah that's the upside-ide of being down

Nice poem .. but how does that solve the poem???