The Single Life

Adult Development and career Life Assessment Jan. 21, 2010 With the internet implemented worldwide the dating scene has revolutionized. The single lifestyle in my opinion is slowly becoming a thing of the past, especially with social networking sites such as e-harmony, match. com, my-space, or even facebook. How can one define the single life? It depends on who you ask on what kind of definition you will get. In the dictionary single is defined as a relating to the unmarried state or no longer living with. I define being single as being someone who is not actively participating in a relationship with a like minded individual. I have been single for the most part of my life. My very first relationship was my sophomore year in high school. I was only about fifthteen or sixteen years old. Her name was Carla, she and I met in the cafeteria one morning while we were having breakfast before homeroom period started. Even though our high school was very small, I cannot recall ever seeing her before. Once we became friends, we started to date. We would attend school functions, basketball games, choir concerts, basketball games and track meets; as time progressed a little we both got our driver licenses and jobs. This at first was a really good thing for the relationship, due to the fact that we could attend and participate in other functions and activities outside the ones that were primarily school related, for example: the movies, or the fair. One side effect that I noticed from my new experience was that of a wondering mind. I would often find myself not focused on school work or any task for that matter. I would always become distracted when trying to accomplish anything; my attention would immediately be directed to Carla’s and I relationship. This was not benefiting me in anyway. My grades dropped, I became less and less productive at work and didn’t get much rest. Finally I made the decision that if a relationship would cause me not to maintain my focus and career goal that is was not for me at that time. Carla was my first and last serious relationship, and I have made the judgment to remain single until I have reached my educational aspirations. I would like to think that there is no pressure and is a personal choice on staying single or to get married, but it is not like that. Once a person can whole heartedly accept the fact that they are living the single life, it becomes somewhat easier for that individual to interact with others on a daily bases. For example, when a person really and truly feels as if they need to be in a relationship or cannot understand why they are not, that individual could have some problems dealing with others who are in a relationship or someone who is content with the single lifestyle. In my opinion â€Å"coming from personal experience† a person is more likely to find themselves when single as opposed to being in a committed relationship. Being a person who has been in a relationship and single, I can see some pros and cons in both being single and being in a relationship. Attached you will find a diagram with some of the pros and cons. ? ? Pros SINGLE IN A RELATIONSHIP Freedom Someone to share More friendsShared experiences Self-Sufficiency Can Depend on someone Prioritizing Career Two incomes Cons ? SINGLE IN A RELATIONSHIP Lonely Arguments No one to talk toJoint bank accounts One incomeLess time to work Having to cookLess time to focus on school In conclusion I’ve express my view and thought on the single life base on information obtain from personal experiences and article and information researched via the internet. Base on the information presented in my paper I have concluded that being single is conducive to the hectic lifestyle of a young, working college student. I do feel as if everyone needs and deserves someone. Which is why I do not wish to remain single for the remainder of my life, I can honestly say I am at the point in my life where being single is ok and works for me.