Let me preface this by saying that I have no delusions about being in a relationship. I know relationships have their challenges and are not always pure bliss. I'm not trying to say in this post that single life stinks and relationships are perfect. Single life can be fun at times, and being in a relationship can have it's challenges.Now that I have the disclaimer out of the way, let's move on.
As I have previously said, I like Valentine's Day. To me it's more about love in general than being in a relationship. But I've heard many friends call it "single awareness day" and I have to agree that as a single person Valentine's day sort of puts a capital S on single.
In honor of Single Awareness day, I thought I'd make a list of things that are not fun to do alone. I hope I don't sound bitter in this post (because I'm not) and I promise to end on a happy note. So without further ado, here's my list of things that stink to do alone!
Going to the movies - I did this once. I saw Harry Potter alone. All my friends had already seen it and I thought I was strong enough to go alone. I hated it. If you have ever done this successfully you'll have to let me know your secret. I knew a woman once who went to a movie alone and even though the theater was practically empty, a weird man came and sat in the seat right next to her. Not cool creepy guy, not cool.
Going out to eat - I actually do this from time to time and don't really mind it but I have several single friends who hate doing this and I guess I understand why.
Going on vacation - I've heard of people doing this but I don't know how it's done. Do you hang out with people you meet while on vacation, or do you just spend all your time alone? I don't get it and I don't like the sounds of it.
Staying in and watching a movie - Some things are just better done with a significant other, let's face it. I have two Snuggies and it's not right that one of them is available to be wadded up and used as a pillow while I'm wearing the other one.
Playing board games/cards/uno (I find it ironic that a game called Uno can't be played alone but that's neither here nor there) - I played Monopoly by myself once and still lost. I swear I can't win that game to save my life.
Going to weddings/receptions/parties - I hate going to weddings by myself but at the same time I don't want to ask a date because I'm afraid he'll think I'm trying to give him some kind of subliminal message "marry me.... you want to marry me..." simply because I invited him to a wedding. Well, that and that fact that I sometimes whisper that on wedding dates. It hasn't worked yet but it will. Oh, it will.
Wow, that was creepy.
Ok, to even it out, here are things that are fun to do as a single person:
Watch Lifetime movie marathons
Read People magazine while eating a bowl of ice cream
Change your hair color without even thinking about if someone else will like it or not
Crush on every guy you meet
Wear both Snuggies at once
Not worry about doing something super special for your significant other on Valentine's DayBuy yourself a heart shaped box of chocolates and eat them all
Am I missing any? (On either list?)
P.S. Thank you anonymous commenter, for the flowers. They are beautiful.
20 comments:
Ha! I think my favorite part is you supposedly whispering "marry me" on wedding dates! Well either that part or that you have the Snuggies in both categories! And just the other day I actually did buy myself a (small) heart-shaped box of chocolates and ate them all myself! It was wonderful and delicious! What is there that's sad about that? :)
I've occasionally gone to movies by myself and enjoyed myself. For some reason, I always feel like I'm getting away with something.
So, does it just make me weird that they only thing I can also say I dislike is playing board games alone? If I'm hungry and I want someone else to cook for me, I eat out. If I want to see a movie or watch a movie, I do. Besides who else besides me wants to watch my indie and kid's movies. I have gone on vacation alone and yes I hang out with people I meet there. Weddings and stuff are iffy like you said you can crush on anyone you meet.
I think I could go see a movie alone. I've thought about it on several occasions. Except I never thought about the possibility of a creepy man sitting next to me. He'd better not eat his popcorn loudly, or he'll be sorry.
As far as eating out alone, it makes me think of a quote from the movie Hope Floats: "It's not for sissies you know. Dining alone. Gotta be made of some pretty stern stuff to do that."
I always admire the people who are dining alone at a restaurant. It's so mysterious and independent.
Melanie, it doesn't make you weird. It makes you REALLY weird. I'm kidding! It's cool that you're that comfortable with yourself to do all that alone!
I like that quote, Kathy. Makes me feel tougher than I actually am.
I've traveled by myself a lot. (Okay, a lot for a girl who is slightly TERRIFIED to do that.) I went to Ukraine for 3 weeks, and my friend ended up having a job, so I had to travel around by myself. I also backpacked through Scotland by myself for 2 weeks. I also went to Sweden and traveled by myself for a week.
It's fun enough. I spent most of my time alone. If you can't get anyone to travel with you, I'd definitely recommend it!!!! But it does get lonely not having anyone to laugh with.
And I HATE going to weddings by myself. I always end up getting hit on/told I'm pretty by old men. Sigh.
Hahaha I am guilty of doing all those things solo.
I really enjoy going to the movies just for the pure pleasure of being secluded and interrupted plus I have a bad fast-forwarding habit when at home but I do have to say that some movies are just better when share with others.
I have to say a few years back I went on a vacation by myself and it was great, maybe I become to comfortable being single.
I agree that going out to eat alone sucks but like everything you get use to it. I usually end up sitting at the bar and I am the “regular” that drinks coke.
Speaking of Snuggies have you seen commercials for pajama jeans? I read an article online and it made me laugh.
Please don’t get me started on going to weddings…
P.S: I am so glad they made it to the right destination as it was a bit of a gamble. I also hope you like tulips; I figured you might get a lot of flowers so I wanted to be different ;)
And admirer from the distance
One time I went to go see Lord of the Rings with my brother, and there was only one ticket left or something, so he went to LOTR and I went to see Oceans 11 by myself... well, not planned that way. I didn't like it. Probably because LOTR is like 3 hours long, so I had to sneak into another movie so I wasn't just in the bathroom for an hour. So I watched part of Oceans 11 again so I wouldn't really be sneaking in... It was weird.
I've gone on a couple vacations by myself and they're alright. You get a lot of photos by yourself with the one handed thing and that's just not as much fun. But you get to meet interesting people and go at your own pace without someone whining about what to do next.
I think eating out would be a little lonely. Most of the joy of eating out is chatting with the people/person you go with. I can eat cereal if I don't feel like making anything...
So this one time I went to the movies, I think it was one of those Harry Potter movies, and saw this girl from my singles ward. She was sitting by herself so I figured I'd be sociable and sat by her. And you know what, she got up and moved!
Maybe she didn't recognise me.
Maybe if I said she looked cute she might have found me more attractive.
I saw her the next weekend at a wedding reception and she was walking up behind guys and whispering something like "Harry and me" in their ears. At least that's what it sounded like. I guess she really liked the movie.
I would never do any of those things alone. When I used to travel on business I had to eat out by myself and was very self-conscious. I'm weird and I admit it freely.
I never ate out alone until after I was married. Is that the weirdest? Doing corporate travel is what made me eat out alone. Like, since I am married, it felt weirder to go out to eat with male co-workers (especially since I did it a couple times and the people working there totally thought it was a date-seating us next to each other at the table instead of across- very creepy/ackward), unless there was a huge group from the company. When I was single, I just went out to eat with whomever I was working with. Now that I have kids, I probably wouldn't mind eating out alone, but eating out with them without another adult is no fun- it is too hard! I don't think it ever occurred to me to eat out alone before I was married since I never budgeted money for eating out. I would rather buy clothes than eat out back then.
I just got over the "going to the movies alone" hump. Sometimes I think the type of movie makes it easier or harder. I went and saw New Moon alone and it was like staying home and watching a cheezy awesome Lifetime movie: pure girly fun. Movies don't warrant too much socializing time, except post-movie analysis, so it's not too bad.
Eating out is a coin toss. Sometimes I like to people/cute guy watch or other times I'll just take a book/magazine and look like I'm on a lunch break.
When I was at M.S.U. they showed movies cheaply at an auditorium on campus and I often went by myself. I think that I saw "Hello Dolly" three times. But I haven't done it since. Except when I'm watching old movies on Turner Classic Movies late at night when I should be sleeping!
I wonder if thewhole movie thing is different for guys than girls 'cause I know both my husband and my Dad enjoy going to the movies by themselves. I always feel bad we don't live closer to Matt's bros so he can go with them but he really doesn't care as long as he gets to see the movie.
When I was younger, I would always play monopoly bymyself (ok, not ALWAYS - I don't want readers to assume I had no friends as a kid). And I would ALWAYS lose - how do you lose to yourself?!
Yeah, there are definitely activities that are aqward to participate in as a loner (this makes me think of the song, "It Takes Two to Tango"). But, I think after spending 24 hours with people non-stop for 18-months, I appreciate my alone time more than ever before!
(I laughed hard after trying to picture someone wearing two Snuggies at once! Those things are crazy!)
So how do you wear the snuggie combo? One on the left and the other on the right? Or do you put one on backwards, wrap it around the front, then put the other one on normally (as normal as a snuggie gets) for an interleaved effect? Perhaps you just double them up and pull up the sleeves a bit on the second layer so you can see the other color. I'm assuming that one of Elizabeth's wraps is in a leopard skin pattern, and the other is a more conservative solid color.
Soooooo proud of Mr. Anonymous!!!!! Happy Valentine's Day to all of the single and married people tomorrow.
Just a side note to all of the singles....
Just because someone gets married doesn't mean you instantly have someone to do any or all of these things that you mention with. Examples... my husband doesn't like board games. I have been known to play two person scrabble alone - playing two hands - no cheating of course. Boring, but better than no board games.
Spouses don't always enjoy exactly the same types of movies. We certainly go to see movies together, but there are ones that I really don't want to see and the same goes for my husband. So sometimes it is just cheaper and smarter to let the man and boys go to their own movies while I stay home.
So, the moral of the story.... relationships don't always mean that you suddenly get a partner in all of the things of life. There is often a sense of independence that is best to bring along to a relationship.
Anyway, happy valentine's day!
Elisabeth
Elisabeth, I guess you didn't read my disclaimer. ;)
You're too stinkin' funny. Snuggy got me going, but Uno...LOL! No solutions, and sadly after marriage, I'm home by myself alot, so I'm looking forward to retirement...I'm sure you'll find the fella before Andy retires, let me rephrase IF Andy retires. Maybe the cold has frozen the brain of the men in your neck of the woods, or maybe you're just too cool!
I actually love to watch movies at home alone. And even going to the theatre alone can be fun especially during the day when everyone is at work or school. I once saw one of the Harry potter films and I was the only person in the theatre. It was awesome.
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