Friday, December 14, 2007

6 is an odd number

"Wow that's weird they have an odd number of seating."
Everyone at the table scoots over. The conversations continue. The room is filled with laughter and deep voices regaling stories of travel and work. A chair is brought over to the table. Now everyone has a place.

But there were six seats. How is that odd? Easy, I sat down.

I attended a holiday dinner for my companies project. Almost all in attendance brought their spouses. Those who didn't, their spouses couldn't make it. Except for me. I had no significant other, boyfriend...nothing, but me.

I was excited to go. Those who know me know that the prospect of free food always gets me excited. Hey what can I say. I'm easy to please.

As the date inched closer I began to feel uneasy. I'm relatively new, dont say more than two words in passing to these people and well it would be all couples.

Don't fret I'm used to being the single woman out. And well, it was free food. I'll look good. I'll go, I'll mingle, I'll have fun and - did I mention free food?

I sat at a table with two other couples and low and behold another walks over. "Thats odd only one chair."

No one even realized that the single girl sat there and threw it off, well until I told them.

Sometimes though I feel this society is so geared towards couples and families, that you are not truly accepted until you "join the club."

It can become hard to enjoy the season you are in when the world tells you "You're in the wrong season!"

The older I have gotten the less things bother me. I walked into that room with myself. And I had a ball, and when their weren't enough chairs because I threw off the count, well someone just pulled up one and everything was okay.

And guess what? Being single is okay.

2 comments:

Gwyneth Bolton said...

Being cool with one's self and being able to go places and do things alone is a trait that even married people and people in relationships need to have. I remember when I was single I had no problems going to check out a movie by myself or going to get something to eat by myself (if a sister wanted some food, a sister wanted some food, ya feel me?) Anyway, I will still eat by myself, especially when I'm out of town and traveling alone for conferences and what have you. But I've noticed that I seem to have lost my ability to go catch a flick alone. I need to work on that. Because I'm missing some great movies like Enchanted because the hubby didn't want to see it...

Gwyneth

K.D. KING said...

Girl you better go watch your movie. You know I the one thing I've been able to do is go to the movies alone. Its everything else I had to build up to do. I will eat alone, but only at certain types of restaurants. I still dont have the gutzpa to go to any restaurant and say "table for one." Oh if only I could.

And you're right. Single or in a couple, PEOPLE should learn to to be comfortable and confident with just them.