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Single and Satisfied

What's wrong with being single? A whole lot if you go by what you see around you. Whether you visit a bookstore or a library, watch television, go to the movies, listen to friends and family, adopt the values of society, or read the newspaper, messages about couplehood prevail. Little is spoken about being single, except as a condition to avoid like the plague. In the dawn of a new millennium, it's time to say what being single is really all about.

Visit any bookstore and you'll find dozens of books about relationships; how to keep them together, how to grieve the loss of a loved one, how to find and keep the "perfect" mate, how to satisfy your lover sexually, and the list goes on and on. Rarely will you find books on being single unless they relate to healing some aspect of yourself in preparation for a relationship. Or, to take time alone to discover why you're scaring people away.

The majority of movies, soap operas, daytime talk shows and television dramas revolve around love relationships. Boy meets girl, boy beats up bad guys to save girl, boy marries girl and lives happily ever after are all stock images served up by Hollywood. Even action films try to sneak in sexual tension between the protagonists. Sexless soap operas do not exist. There's so much steam, it's pornographic. Every talk show has a weekly episode that examines relationships. Jerry Springer is renowned for sensationalizing combating couples while Oprah prefers to concentrate on deepening existing relationships.

Even newspapers, whose primary purpose is to inform citizens of world events include a personals section with want-ads of lonely singles desperately seeking a mate. Cities are littered with singles clubs and discotheques that aim to pair people up, even if it's just for a one-night stand.

Society expects every man and woman to wed, preferably before the age of 30, and to have at least one child (two is perfect). Even though the term "old maid" is no longer politically correct, many still respond with surprise if an older woman remains unhitched. Single women are supposed to date regularly. If not, friends, family, and coworkers love to set singles up with blind dates (and we all know how satisfying those are). The message couldn't be clearer. It's not okay to be alone. Sometimes, singles are excluded from "couples" nights or activities or they're advised to "bring a friend."

Being in a loving relationship has its benefits, no doubt about it. Someone to talk

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