The Art of Being Alone: The Tao of the Perpetual "Single Card"

Posted by Gordita In The City Tuesday, March 13, 2012


According to Astrology, I am an overbearing, needy, manipulative, over-emotional, security blanket-needing wet rag who is exhibits co-dependent behaviors with bad relationships, has a mommy complex, while preferring to be home nine times out of ten.  What's my sign?

Yep you guessed it, I'm a Cancerian. A special-breed of summer born side-shuffling crab who acts tough on the outside but is really all mushy and sappy on the inside. As a woman, I'm stereo-typically supposed to buy into this spiel, planning and plotting my life by arbitrary star placements because that is easier than admitting that I have choices. What I find amazing, is that people find my ability to go out in the world alone astonishing. It's almost like I discovered some kind of super-mutant power in my ability to go to concerts, bars, parties, Valentine's Day events, and every other kind of social event on my own. The first question that I almost ALWAYS get asked by people when they meet me at an event is, "Who did you come with?" After, I inform them that I came alone, I often get stares of pity or looks of absolute wonder. After the initial shock, I have to endure the usual line of questioning that curious people have followed by their own admissions of, " I could never do that, you are so brave".

Listen, I am not brave, magical, or relatively even enlightened - I simply do what I must. Like everyone else, I didn't start out this confident in my abilities. When I got dumped by my ex years ago, I was a typical insecure twenty year-old "hot-mess".  I hated my body, I hated who I was, I found myself repulsive, and had absolutely no confidence in my social abilities. As far as I was concerned, I was an outcast social retard that had a problem with excess of EVERYTHING: talking, imagination, insecurity, etc, etc, etc.   My story is not some magical Ugly-Duckling transformation where I showed my ex and people that hated on me  what they were missing out on and discovered how fabulous I really was. 

A couple of weeks, turned into a couple of months where I was absolutely petrified of doing ANYTHING by myself. Every time there was a party, I'd try and drag any friend available - only to cling to them and my fear of rejection. I would get depressed when people weren't around to hold my hand.  After awhile, I decided that I was tired of feeling sorry for myself and bored of waiting for other people to save me from my own self-hatred and feelings of inadequacy. My natural gregariousness came back and I started to feel bold. My first official Single-Girl-by-myself event was the Mooneye's Car Show post-party at Vertigo's in Downtown LA.  I'll save you the whole story.  I went and FORCED myself to talk to strangers. At subsequent events - I started getting bolder and actually began to allow myself to have the fun. Hands down, 2006-2007 were the most socially awkward years of my single social existence.

 The point of this anecdote is that it begins with a choice.  You are going to stumble, fall, and make a complete jack-ass of yourself: the secret is to realize that you aren't that important.  Yep, I said it. You aren't that important. You literally have to not care.  I'm not saying that you should neglect things that matter like grooming and manners - but the moment you abandon the whole idea that the whole world is judging you - the easier it gets. Wait... I lied. Yes, EVERYBODY is judging you - the freedom comes from the realization that you don't really matter enough to be lingered on for more than a few minutes. As a singleton - I am a maverick. I have the unique ability to go where I please and when I choose - the only limit is really myself. 

The question is are you going to live by your label?  Being single is one aspect of my life, a large chunk, but still a part of a really complex whole. The reality is that single people make the world uncomfortable. I can deduce this from the weird reactions I get from people when I tell them I have been single for as long as I have.  You know, it's not like I plotted and planned for this to happen. Sure, my choices have definitely influenced the situation - but ultimately - the card was dealt to me and I have to deal with it. From a bio-evolutionary standpoint, you could say that it is an unnatural condition. Thus, the millions of American singles out there and I are living in genetic allegorical sin. 

Look, the key to being a successful perpetual single is to say: F-It.  That's it. The Tao of the perpetual single is the ability to tell the "establishment" F-it through your actions. You become magical that way. People are naturally attracted to rarity and the honest ability to say "screw it, I choose life" is very rare. Not every person is equipped to survive as a perennial single; more-often, people fail at this office miserably.  I assure you that those people fail due to learned helplessness, not lack of ability.  I call this an art because ANYBODY can learn it with the right push and motivation.


Put it this way,  you aren't going to find love sitting on your couch or clinging to the same coupled friends every Friday night.

One day I'll right Part two to this with actual usable advice and tips that have helped me ... but today isn't it.

1 Responses to The Art of Being Alone: The Tao of the Perpetual "Single Card"

  1. Love this. Brilliant.

     

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Welcome to the rantings and ravings of a twenty-something Latina who just happens to have ADHD , enjoys the luxuries of working class life in urbania, and believes strongly that women (and men) need to stop using body size as an excuse not to live their lives...as for being a minority.... well I like it spicy and mixed.

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