by Kat Ballew

Created on: November 23, 2009   Last Updated: November 24, 2009

Growing up, most of us dreamed of meeting that special someone, settling down, buying a home with a white picket fence, having children and living happily ever after. This has always been taught as the life plan, and when a person stayed single too long others began to question them and wonder why they had not perused this dream. These questions often make a person feel pressured into doing something they feel they are not ready for, and may be one of the reasons why people stay single longer these days. The normal pattern in which we have been taught may not always be the right decision for us, and individuals are taking charge in deciding what is best for them, and what makes them happy.

Being single often provides a person the chance to start their career and become familiar with their chosen profession. In the past, women were expected to stay at home and raise children while the husbands went off to work each day and provided for the family. Nowadays a job is perceived as more than just a means of survival. The lifestyles of today's society has become much more modernized and the luxuries more plentiful, and at a much higher cost than before. In order to afford these finer things in life, it often takes a formal education and training to land a decent job. Often times, a career that requires many years of training can be hard on a relationship. This is why many choose to stay single, in order to allow themselves time to pursue their chosen profession.

Many times divorce can have a dramatic affect on children, leaving them with stifled dreams of what marriage is supposed to be, and therefore they will opt to stay single for fear of failure. Seeing the results of divorce and the pain and troubles involved can confirm the decision to remain single. It may take awhile for a young adult to overcome these feelings, and can heighten their standards in finding the right person in order to take the big step and commit to marriage, finally resulting in staying single longer than what yesterdays society thought was proper.

When a young person leaves home and ventures out on their own, whether it is to attend college or work, being single and dating is an exciting part of this new life. Given this freedom of not having to answer to anyone, be responsible for anyone or please anyone but themselves is quite a change from living at home with parents and family. Staying single is often a choice many make for themselves and are often very happy in this chosen lifestyle.

While there are many reasons for staying single these days, there will come a time when most people will want a relationship, a commitment and a chance to be with a person and become a family. But remaining single until they feel they are ready for this, however long it may take, is more accepted these days than it used to be.

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