What's the best thing about remaining single and unattached?

[prolesunited]

Just offering a different perspective here. I've been single, with a few attachments now and then, all my life and it really doesn't bother me. In fact, I often enjoy it.

Here's just some of the advantages:

"You can do whatever you darn well please." --ilanadonna

"You can slump around the house in any old thing." --sfgirl

"You can go out and flirt as much as your heart desires, without a worry in the world." --ilanadonna

"The toilet seat issue -- need I say more?" --kkj199

"You can have male friends without having to defend yourself and explain that nothing else is going on." --tam1021

"You can finally see all the good videos -- the romantic, cheesy films." --ilanadonna

"You don't have to deal with anyone's grumpy, moody personalities." --sfgirl

"Never worry if the milk carton had been directly drunken out of." (Unless it was you.) --kkj199

"You are free at a party or bar to talk to who you please, and you don't always have to turn to and say 'Hon, let's go over and talk to so and so.'" --sfgirl

"You can buy what you want at the grocery store. So what if you want to have spaghetti four nights in a row?" --sfgirl

"No more checking with someone to see if 'it's okay' to tell someone yes or no to an invitation. You can accept on the spot." --sfgirl

"If you are depressed or mad at the world for a few minutes, you don't have to worry about having your 'outlook on life' analyzed." --cskgirl

"You can buy something for yourself (a new book, CD, shoes, or whatever) without being asked, 'What do you need that for?' " --tam1021

"You can have eight hours of undisturbed sleep with the covers all to yourself." --glamourgirl

"If you tidy up your apartment, it will STAY neat until YOU mess it up again!" --glamourgirl

"You can spend your paycheck on what you want." --ud98alh

More here:
http://www.ivillage.com/relationships/features/membersolutions/articles/0,,189190_27984-1,00.html



Anyone else enjoy their singleness or the periods they are between relationships? What other things would you add to this list?

[camero]

1. You can sleep with your dogs

My ex-girlfriend wouldn't let the dogs sleep with us. That in itself was the best thing about her leaving.

[mobuto]

15. You can sleep with women too

something rarely experienced (or so I'm told) in wedlock.

[camero]

18. That too

doh.

[prolesunited]

20. Personally

I prefer sleeping with men, but that's just me. :-)

BTW, I'm a woman. Because of my avatar, someone told me they always thought I was a black man.

[Alenne]

2. I'm married and I can do all but three. nt

[prolesunited]

5. That's great!

I am in NO WAY knocking being attached, but we've had so many lonely hearts posts in the Lounge lately I was just trying to point out there are some positive aspects to being single.

Sounds like you have a great relationship and are very lucky indeed. :D

[supernova]

3. I can eat whatever I want whenever I want

I can stay in and cook or just eat cheese and crackers.

I can do take out at my favorite resturant just because.

[Cha]

7. Did you see "Pirates Of The Carribean"?

I saw it last night and loved it even more than I thought I would! :D

[supernova]

37. Did I see Pirates!

Is the Pope Polish! ROFL! :D

I saw it SIX TIMES in the Theatre. I bought the DVD Tuesday, and still haven't seen all the extras. Whew!

I adore this movie as much as I adored Raiders of the Lost Ark way back when. I saw that 8 times. :D

Is this the first time you've seen it?

[prolesunited]

41. Well, with that kind of endorsement

I know what I'll be watching this weekend. :-)

[Sting]

4. I can walk around nekkid...

and leave the damn toilet seat up. :) :D

[camero]

8. Hell, I could do that

even when I was attached.

[Sting]

9. I couldn't.

:( :grr:

[prolesunited]

12. Why not?

You think she would have enjoyed that? :shrug:

[Cha]

6. It turns out that I like living alone!

Some People are just meant for it and I'm one of them..

I can be gregarious but I need my own place to resuscitate.

[brook]

17. I relate to that....

I have always worked in areas where there are great demands on my time and emotions. I cannot wait to get home & isolate. I also have a big thing about not calling my kids. I guess I assume that because I need space, evryone does.

I consider myself to be gregarious - but I need/crave solitude...and did as a young person.

[FDRrocks]

28. I truely do relate...

I'm not much for trivial small talk at all, and I think alot on my own. I actually prefer a quiet night alone to a social night.

The small talk issue really bothers me sometimes. I wish I could just talk about trivial shit for hours likes some people... sometimes.

[prolesunited]

43. I would MUCH

rather talk about things that matter than the weather, a sports team or a celebrity. I think being unable to make small talk is actually a good thing, but I guess it depends on with whom you want to converse.

[FDRrocks]

27. I cannot sleep in bed with the another person....

how about you?

[MissMillie]

49. I'm convinced

that if I ever do marry, the quality of my marriage will hinge upon (among other things) a room big enough to hold 2 queen-sized beds. I really have no desire to share sleeping space.

[Kenneth ken]

10. this one

covers it all, so what else is there to add?

You can do whatever you darn well please." --ilanadonna

[sleipnir]

11. I value my independant time, it's often been as nice as being "attached"

Sometimes I've very glad that I've been single a decent amount of my life, up to this point (which isn't saying much.) I'm very comfortable with that fact, strange as it may seem. I often enjoy being alone, not having to worry about all that shit that those people mention!

I'd add...If you see the perfect girl at a bar/whatever, you can talk to her without fear of reprisal and maybe even score (without feeling guilty)!

And you don't have to answer the world's stupidist question "What are you thinking" every other day...

[prolesunited]

13. Just for practice

"What are you thinking?" ;-)

[sleipnir]

16. ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!

NO, not that!!!


I think my head will explode now... ;)

[omshanti]

45. You can eat whatever weird meals you want

with no one to say "Ewwww! you're going to eat a peanut butter and mango chutney sandwich? Naaasss-ty"

edited cos I can't type

[Endangered Specie]

14. You get the entire bed to yourself

You can own guns; and know that if you think there is a burglar in the house, you know it isnt anyone else.

You can make all the socially unaccaptable sound and gestures you damn well please.

[southerngirlwriter]

19. Cleanliness. It's Heavenly.

I love living alone, because my place stays clean.

<rant on cleanliness>My apartment is so neat, clean, and organized that, should the need arise, I could eat off my kitchen floor, have surgery in my bathroom, or do any other sensitive thing like that with no fear of germs.

Yes, I'm OCD. So what? It makes me happy. :-)

I grew up in a home that was so filthy and disgusting that if CPS had known about it, my siblings and I would have been removed and placed into foster care. Living in a neat, clean home where the bed is always made perfectly each morning, everything smells nice, there is not a speck of dust anywhere, the laundry and dishes are always caught up, and everything is where I left it is soooooooooooooooo wonderful. I love it! </rant on cleanliness>

[Blue-Jay]

21. Things I like about being single:

I don't have to "talk about my day" as soon as I walk in the damned door after work.

Doritos for dinner!

"Haven't you had enough bourbon?" Hell NO, I haven't!

I can hang as many black & white pictures of my jazz heros anywhere I want.

Nobody steals my warm sweaters.

Fewer dishes to wash. Same goes for laundry.

New guitar? No problem.

"No, it's NOT cold in here"

I don't have to apologize for leaving my shoes in the living room.

"Sweetest Day? What in the hell is THAT?"

"Sorry. I didn't realize that today was the second anniversary of our first joint purchase."


I could go on forever..... That being said, I still miss many of the advantages of being "attached".

[prolesunited]

22. I liked your list

Especially, this one:
"Sorry. I didn't realize that today was the second anniversary of our first joint purchase." LOL! <-- I'm a woman and never remembered silly stuff like that. I wonder what that says about me?

I agree that being in a relationship has its advantages — some of which I've definitely been missing. :evilgrin: I guess this thread was to point out that being alone isn't necessarily the worst thing in the world either.

It's better to be alone than wish you were. :D

[bratcatinok]

23. Decorating

I can decorate any way I want to with whatever I like and I don't have to worry about incorporating someone else's stuff in with mine. I also don't have to look at stuff I don't like.

Ditto on the eating what I want to when I want to how I want to. Along with this one, I also don't have near the dirty dishes when I'm single as I do when I'm attached. Since I don't have a dishwasher this is one I really enjoy when I'm not attached.

Still, I'm glad I've found the man I have in my life. I wouldn't trade him for anything.

[JaySherman]

24. Freedom to come and go

Not having to hear "You've been playing that stupid video game for 3 hours. Don't you want to do something else?" or "You love that computer more than you love me."

Being able to listen to my favorite music without embarrasment or complaints.

Not having to work out who gets control of the car radio on long trips.

Taking a trip or vacation without having to comprimise on how and where to spend it.

Waking up at the buttcrack of dawn ONLY when I want to.

Shopping for groceries when I want and buying what I want :donut:

Not having to share that delicious meal I just cooked if I don't want to.

Not having to ask permission to go out drinking on Friday night.

Not hearing about it Saturday morning :hangover:

Knowing that book/CD/tool/whatever will still be where I left it when I come back for it later and NOT "put away" someplace I have no prayer of locating until she gets home.

:eyes:

On edit: There's always enough hot water and I can linger in the shower as long as I want.

[prolesunited]

25. What's your favorite music

that would elicit embarrassment or complaints?

Good list, BTW. :-)

[JaySherman]

31. Thanks

80's era heavy metal. The hard, fast, loud stuff. Maiden, Warrior, Soul, Accept, Dokken. That kind of thing. What I can I say? I grew up with it. :freak:

[Booberdawg]

29. Oops, posted in wrong spot

reposted below

[FDRrocks]

26. Flirting

Seriously... I'm in a 2 year relationship and extremely uninterested. Don't get me wrong, I love her in a larger way, but I have such a wandering eye. I don't cheat but I love to flirt... which I cannot do. It's hard b/c I have "bedroom eyes". Damn my Italian heritage for the aforementioned reason and for the body hair.

[Booberdawg]

32. I love Italian eyes!

It's sort of a family heritage thing too. My dad, one sister, one brother and I have the Italian "bedroom eyes". I'm also told I have "expressive" eyes.

[FDRrocks]

33. Well thank ya!

[Booberdawg]

30. I enjoy my "space" and not having to check in with someone

on every little thing.

I come and go as I please

Eat at irregular times

Control the thermostat

Control what's on TV

Control when I go to bed

I don't have to share anything. ;-)

I can putz around without being interrupted.

Clean house when I feel like it, or not.

I like alone time - I draw my strength from within and that's where I get my recharge.

[trotsky]

50. I love my wife & kids dearly and wouldn't trade them for the world...

but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss everything you list. The "alone time" is definitely up there.

(Although I do get to control the thermostat.) ;-)

[BiggJawn]

34. I don't have to keep my crib clean.

I can leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight.

I can "step out" with the "Pet of the Month" and not feel guilty.

I can thrash around in my sleep and wake up on the floor without somebody asking "WTF was THAT all about?"

And many, many more cynical "advantages"......

[prolesunited]

35. You must have some interesting dreams.

Does it wake you up when you fall on the floor? :-)

Again, this isn't a slam of relationships. It's an attempt to gain perspective, to find the positive in whatever state of life you find yourself. There's pros and cons to everything. I was just trying to point out that being alone is NOT the worst thing in the world.

"What we see depends mainly on what we look for."
— John Lubbock

[BiggJawn]

36. Only the Ashcroft dreams...

Those are the ones that get me all wrapped up in the sheets or on the floor... :7

The longer I stay out on my own, the more "set" in my ways I get. F'instance, if I had someone staying with me, they'd be bitching about bicycle parts being on almost every flat surface in the place and having to work around the 4 bikes parked in front of the TV...So what, most "confirmed bachelorettes" have at least that many, if not more CATS (My GF has 3 cats and a dog) and I also have 6 goldfish...

Do I like it? Frankly, no. It's a lonely existence, even with an "Esso" that I see almost everyday. On top of all my other health concerns, I think I'm dropping into a moderate depression now, too....

But then, I sit back and remember what it was like being married the LAST time, and suddenly, being alone ain't so bad...:-)

[Brewman_Jax]

38. Watch the games when I like

Go watch the games (live or on TV) when and where I like. I can't add much more than--

-not having to care whether the seat is up or down--and being cut off for forgetting.

-having to remember every significant day, like the day we met, etc. Remembering birthdays is hard enough.

-not having a social secretary pre-planning the month, and no say (or very little input) in the planning.

:party:

[commander bunnypants]

39. The good ole days

DDQM

[prolesunited]

40. IIRC, you haven't even been married a year

Isn't it a little soon to be waxing nostalgic?!?!?

[skippysmom]

42. No in-laws to deal with

'nuff said.

[Melsky]

44. I'm in a long distance relationship

We have been married for 5 years, and now he is working in another city. I will be alone for at least 3 months. I'm enjoying it a lot so far. I like always having the internet when I want, getting up and going to bed when I want, eating and cleaning up when and whatever I want. I'm having fun!

But I will look forward to being together with my husband, and expecially my trip to visit him in January. It's just nice to have a break.

[TEXASYANKEE]

46. It is bliss.

Some people like to be alone and some don't. I'm one of those people who would rather be alone than be around others. I'm terrible at small talk and cringe at the thought of social events. I'm much happier when I have lots of time to myself.

I do occasionally miss the sex ... but if that is the something that I have to give up in order to lead a happy and contented life ... well, there are always toys!

;-)

[plcdude]

51. exactly

sometimes it is even better when you're alone.

[Kamika]

47. Best thing..

You don't have to care about ANYONE else then yourself! (ok your family etc but not anyone else)

[MissMillie]

48. Never any need to compromise

well, not at home anyway.

[leftofthedial]

52. being single and unattached

is the best thing about it I'd guess.