the good, the bad, and
​the ugly of being single

By Becky Lyn Rickman, Managing Editor

A joyful, slightly cynical, look at being a single. 

Sometimes I indulge myself in a little debate over the various points of being without a husband/boyfriend/partner/love, and some interesting thoughts come up as I try to validate my romantic life—or lack thereof. 

Let's examine it together, shall we?

THE TOP TEN GOOD:

1. I pretty much set my own hours;
2. I can sleep with the light on. Well, I can't really. But, I could if I wanted to;
3. I can squeeze the toothpaste from the middle;
4. I eat the way I like to eat and don't have to prepare carnage every night;
5. I own the remote;
6. I decide what movies to watch;
7. I decide what to buy and pay the bills the way I think they need to be paid;
8. I can say "yes" or "no" on the spot without consulting anyone;
9. I can have whatever pets I want;
10. There aren't any major squabbles or shouting matches (except when I'm standing in the shower wet and the stupid felines ignore me when I ask them to bring me a towel).
    

THE TOP 10 BAD:

1. There is no one to fuss at me when I stay up too late;
2. When I roll over in bed, there is no one to wrap around;
3. I am responsible for all the bills;
4. I don't hear the sound of man laughter;
5. I have to open my own jars;
6. Things don't get regular maintenance: smoke detectors, oil in car, me, etc.
7. I miss kissing;
8. I have to do all the driving on a trip;
9. The cats pretty much ignore me when I share exciting news;
10. There is no one to do nice things for.

THE BOTTOM 10 UGLY (HERE'S WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE TOO REAL):

1. I don't shave my legs nearly enough;
2. I often talk to myself and sometimes forget that I'm in public when I do so;
3. I sometimes stay up way too late because I know that there is no warm body in bed waiting for me;
4. I have to hold my own hair when I throw up;
5. I listen to "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian a little too often;
6. When I pass the popcorn, there is no one to grab it and it winds up all over my bed;
7. The cats give me really poor feedback on my writing ideas;
8. I'm lying when I tell a telemarketer, "Let me check with my husband and call you back."
9. It's my fault when things don't get done;
10. I have no one to blame but myself for the empty toilet paper roll.

So, there you have it. My list.
What would yours include?
​Did I get anything wrong? 

Copyright © 2015 by Rent's Due Publications

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