Sing Gal

It was 6:30 and I was sitting by the window basking in the evening sun with Mac on my lap. I was trying to write a blog post about the joys of being single. A friend of mine asked me today to tell her about how exciting my life is as a single girl while she faced what was looking like the end of her latest round playing girlfriend.

I managed one weak introductory paragraph and got stuck. Instead of focusing on the topic, I was staring at the online status of a guy who I was supposed to be not paying attention to. See, we're playing this dumb game where I have to act uninterested and he gets to pop up and say hello at any random moment and then allow me to entertain him with one of my cute stories. If I dare try to step up and IM him first, he may respond, and he may have time for a conversation. Or he may just ignore me completely. I still think I'm winning.

Realizing that the sun would not be up for much longer and that I was getting nowhere with my post, I shut down Mac, grabbed my headphones and jacket, and headed out for a walk.

I'm into walking now. I always head west, staring right into the setting sun. I observed on my trip today that there were a lot of women out walking, several with dogs. Guys, if you are wondering where all the girls are, try going for a walk. We're not living inside your X-Box 360, I can tell you that.

I also used the time to think. I thought about what to tell my friend about being single. I tried to come up with all these cool advantages but they ended up sounding kind of lame. Woo, you can go on a shopping spree and not explain yourself to anyone. I certainly hope I never feel obligated to explain why I felt the need to buy three pairs of shoes in one day to a significant other. I may as well try to explain why I felt the need to inhale, or go for a walk (the answer is simple actually, because I can).

Meh, being single can be fun, and being in a relationship can be fun. What it comes down to is the ability to feel normal and confident with just being yourself. I have learned that when I get anxious about a guy and all caught up in the games, I just need to ask myself one question: is this guy's name George Stroumboulopoulos? If the answer is no, (as it has been traditionally, so far) then I say, "well don't spend another minute thinking about him. Go out and enjoy the sunshine". Because really, only George, who has his own talk show, radio show, and thousand of fans, can legitimately say he sometimes doesn't have the time to politely acknowledge my IM or let me know that he's very sorry he can't meet me for coffee this week, or this lifetime...

I do believe that I am a romantic at heart. I am capable of a whole lot of love, but frankly, I just don't get people who seem to think that love is the only reason for living. If you are not in a romantic relationship right now, fear not. There are a million other things you can focus your big heart on. Go help the orphans in Africa, the disappearing rain forests, the contaminated bodies of water, the abandoned puppies and kittens at the pound or darn it just try to be a better all around human being. Find a passion, be a hero. Nine times out of ten it will probably lead you to some other lonely soul to get together with. They don't just come knocking at your door you know. Well, actually, I will never forget the day I answered the door back at mom's and dad's to find a totally hot, blond, lawn care guy on the front step who smiled, and in a sexy voice said to me (I kid you not), "Are your parents home?"

On my way home I spotted two cute red heads hanging out in the back yard. I have a weakness for redheads. They called to me and I met them at the fence. They tripped over each other to vie for my attention and kiss my hand. I was more than happy to rub cold noses with both of them and scratch them under their chins. Women who say men are dogs must be cat people. I'd take a dog of a guy in a heartbeat.

I guess that's my advice. Single and lonely? Get a dog, go for walks, and help out with a charity. You'll either meet someone or you'll find yourself too busy and adored to feel lonely anymore anyway.

I wrote all but the last paragraph of this post outside in the dark in my back yard. I came in only when my fingers started to get cold. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed being able to do that.