Sunday, July 29, 2012

The inequity of single life...

There are a lot of unfair things to put up with being a single girl in a married person's world.  The social stigma that's attached to not having a ring on your finger, the frustration that comes from having to navigate every social situation with the knowledge that it was planned with couples in mind, the necessity of killing one's own spiders.

But I think there's one issue that stands out in my mind above all the others.  It's an injustice that's so blinding, I'm surprised other people haven't brought it up yet.  Surely there should be pretentious New York Best Seller novels and ridiculously maudlin songs written about it by now!  Surely hoity toity people should be having ten thousand dollar a plate fundraisers to raise awareness of such a grave injustice!

The issue ... as a single person, my access to the nine to five outside world is severely limited.

Yeah, I bet all you marrieds hadn't thought of that, had you!  You get to split the responsibiltiy of going to those places that are only open in business hours with your significant other!  You have another person to rely on if that couch you ordered is going to be delivered next Tuesday between twelve and four thirty.  But if I have to get the washing machine guy in or buy gluten free pasta from that ridiculously expensive deli that's only open between ten and three, then I'm on my own!

And this means that either I have to manage my working hour committments like a General planning a battle, or I have to rely on the good will of my boss to let me off when I randomly ask to go early so I can get my donkey reshod at the donkey reshoeing place that's only open when I'm supposed to be at work diligently slaving away over my spreadsheets.

Seriously, would it be that hard for places like banks and doctors offices to have opening ours that are just a little bit outside of the normal office times?  Geez guys, give us working stiffs a break!  

And the guilt involved!  It's like asking for an afternoon off (even if you've already worked the hours up) is akin to second degree murder.  Not that anyone ever tries to make me feel guilty, oh no, I'm quite capable of doing that for myself.  No need for the boss to shake his head disapprovingly because I have someone coming to shave the cat.  I'll have worked myself up into a fit of completely over-the-top guilt before I even bring it up with him!

Yeah, these are the things we single people have to put up with.  So the next time you're ranting on about how your husband/wife did such-and-such even though you specifically asked them not to do such-and-such, just remember that even though you have to put up with these inconveniences ... at least when you need to have the roof retiled, you have someone else to dump the responsibility onto.

16 comments:

  1. No kidding! There is the greatest, most unique specialty shop near my house, where I would truly love to go to buy gifts for friends and family, but they are only open 10-5, and only the occasional Saturday. So it is extremely difficult for me to ever get in that place! Therefore, my poor family and friends get really inappropriate, crap gifts from the convenience store instead.

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    1. I think we singles should strike until they give us an afternoon off a week!

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  2. Won't anyone think of the donkey???? You crack me up.

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  3. This is so true. Luckily my bank is walking distance from work so I can go there on breaks if need be. But when I was getting cable installed it was a pain in my butt.

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    1. I'm just lucky I live only five minutes away from my place, I can pop home for an hour or so if absolutely necessary. But when they want you to wait around for four hours ... yeah, that ain't gonna happen.

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  4. I hear you, and agree. My solution, hire a handyman to run those chores for you. In then end, he'd be A LOT cheaper than getting married! :)

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    1. Hmm, you're argument intrigues me. I wonder if I could make him cook me dinner too :D

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  5. I've been on both sides of the coin on this one. Since I was 18, I have been single 17 yrs and married 23(not all at once). See my pages: 'my nutshell' for further details. Yes, I completely agree. Singles don't have another person to have there for those reasons! Something needs to be done about that!!!

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    1. I suppose there's always arranged marriages ... but I think with my lifestyle and lack of reponsibility I'd need a wife rather than a husband. Might be a bit awkward given that I'm straight, but I'd be willing to make sacrifices for a clean house and a cooked meal.

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  6. Laughed out loud at the spider-killing thing. Love your point-of-view.

    Signed, Stupid-stupid Married Person (;

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    1. Yes, the spider killing thing is possibly the worst part of it ... that and the jar opening thing.

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  7. So true about the business side of things.

    Also sucky that if you are not married or don't have an engagement ring on your finger, some people look down on you.

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    1. I know! Just because I don't have a smelly man hanging around the house, getting under foot, I'm somehow less!

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  8. Poor damned donkey..Standing there all shoeless, and pitiful..
    You are NOT less by having some sweaty behemoth lurching around the house! Stealing the covers, and farting under them. Snoring and sweating profusely while he scratches his balls and ass as he sleeps.. See? Single is gooood.
    I don't know why people are always trying to "marry up" everyone else anyway! Especially the married ones! Hello? A: You're miserable! Why do you want me to be miserable! And 2: I have a girlfriend! We can't get married anyway! Nor do we want to.. blech.. marriage.

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    1. And isn't that just ridiculous! All those people putting so much stock in a person's marital status, when there's a whole bunch of people who can't even get married! It's heaping injustice with ridiculousness!

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