times when my single life sucked

Written by Laura Buckley

If you know me even slightly by now, you’ll know that I mostly found that being single sucked. There was the odd time it didn’t, but there weren’t many of them. I thought that I’d highlight some of the times that I found being a single person particularly sucked. Let me know if any of these resonate with you.

Christmas

I’m still a grump around Christmas which is silly as I have a 5-year-old who LOVES Christmas. But Christmas was always a time of year that I dreaded when I was single. Mostly because every year I thought that the following year would be different and that I wouldn’t be alone. And then I was. And another year older as well. Christmas is also another time when people in couples talk about mistletoe and make comments about Christmas party hook ups. I don’t know why people who are in relationships get all romantic and unrealistic about Christmas.. but they do.

 sleeping arrangements

This is a good one. Why is it that when you are single, you get the worst choice of beds when you go away in a group? The number of times that I would go away with friends or family and couples would pick the rooms they wanted. Then I would get stuck in a box room in the basement, or on a blow-up bed in a room with my parents, or squished in a kids bed. What is that? Why do you need a partner just to get a decent bed for the night?

The single’s table at a wedding

My own wedding was the 40th wedding I had been to in just over 10 years. Yes, you read that right… 40. At least 35 of those I went to alone (apart from the ones where I was allowed a plus 1, and my bestie Barbara came along for the free food and party).

If you’re not sure what it’s like going to a wedding when you’re single, let me tell you.. it’s crap. You get all the comments and wry smiles about how it’s the place to meet people, maybe you’ll fall in love with the best man. That’s utter nonsense because there are no single people at weddings apart from the slightly strange (live with their mum types), the really quiet (don’t say a word types) and the very drunk (slightly letchy types). 

Speaking of letchy types, when you’re single at a wedding you have to watch out for drunken family members or friends who think they can hit on you once their partner has taken the kids to bed. I can recall one particular brother-in-law who stood on my feet, breathed whiskey right into my face and tried to kiss me. All whilst some of my friends laughed. You don’t have to put up with that crap when you have a partner.

the married men

I couldn’t attract and hold onto a lovely single guy for love nor money. But married men, they flocked to me. What’s that all about? I guess the clue is in the word ‘lovely’ single guys. Married men aren’t lovely. They’re cheats and liars. 

What’s worse than a married man? A married man who doesn’t tell you that they’re married. I once met a gorgeous guy in a bar. We started seeing each other and there were red flags, but I ignored them because he was so cute. Long story short, he wasn’t married when we met. He got married in the time that we were seeing each other!! How I got my own back on him is a whole other story and one that probably shouldn’t be committed to paper.

I know it's not all bad being single. Now that I’m not single, there’re times when I miss my single life. Remember that the grass is always greener. Enjoy every moment while you’re in it, because things can change very quickly, and the things that you hate, you may one day miss.

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