Back in the day when I was in my younger years (my 30s), I remember that I had many friends who were single. I thought the world of all of them, and it just didn’t make sense to me that they hadn’t found a partner. Granted, I know not everyone yearns for a relationship… in these cases, my friends DID. They just hadn’t found the right match.

I remembered thinking to myself though: gosh, what gives? They’re smart, funny, accomplished, active… WTF? For some of them, in the years that followed, things eventually turned, and they got hitched!

For the others though, they’re still solo. And I wouldn’t say they’re fine with that status, but they also are not taking any action to change the situation. I guess here’s where my judgey personality starts to creep in. I mean, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we only have one life. If you’re miserable, do SOMETHING about it. You might get fatigued, tired, and sick of trying. So take a damn break. But after that, seriously, what is the alternative? There is NO choice other than to plug along. So take a respite, focus on something else, and then come back to it. Goddamn, I feel like I’m talking to my parents, who perpetually wallow in misery.

The other thing is… If you’re an introvert, shit needs to be nipped in the bud. More alone time is not good bc it only exacerbates future social anxiety. And all along the way, you just become more and more rigid and inflexible and uncompromising.

I share this bc a decade ago, I was wondering how the hell are these friends still single? Now, I KNOW why they’re single. They’ve become hypersensitive to the point that they cannot interact with other people without getting all bent out of shape when something is expressed the “wrong” way. Look, nobody is perfect. Nobody is a mind reader. You can’t expect perfect execution on word choice and tone and delivery every. fricking. time you communicate with someone. If you do, then expect to be alone. It is what it is.