The 5 Friends Every Single Needs

Being single isn't the same as being alone or lonely. But it doesn't mean you need just one other person to "complete" you, either.

THE TRAVEL COMPANION

Without the built-in vacation buddy of a romantic partner, you're still going to want to share this fun: the planning, the pictures, the avoiding the rip-off of "based on double-occupancy" fine print.

THE EMERGENCY CONTACT

Is this your roommate? Work husband? Or even your closest sib (geographically-speaking). When trouble comes a knockin', who you gonna call?

THE ACCOUNTANT

Part of coupledom is having built in checks and balances. Flying solo means it's that much easier to let aspects of grown-up life get out of whack. Getting your financials in order? Keeping up with preventative maintenance on your car, your pets, yourself? This friend knows what time it is. While the title may be metaphorical, the encouragement to focus on the big plans is real.

THE WEDDING DATE

Also known as The +1, The Seat Filler or The Is That Your...? Afraid you'll get seated at the kids table at Thanksgiving, because everyone else is coupled off and they want an even number? Charming, amiable, energetic dancer? This is the friend to call.

THE CONFIDANT

A best friend, a soul-sister, your brother from another mother. Whatever you call this friend, they'll be there. In fact, WHENEVER you call this friend, they'll be there. Whether you've known each other since childhood or it just feels that way, you know the bond you have can't be broken by physical distance, a genuine political disagreement or even a session of really ugly crying.

BONUS: THE AIRPORT PICK-UP FRIEND. If this isn't an alter-ego of one of the friends above, well, just find one. There's really nothing better than being greeted at the airport by someone who can spell your name correctly on a cheesy sign.

The "This is Not a Dating Blog" Post

As a single, single, single lady, I notice that a lot of the "single" opportunities, advertising, media mentions out there are really about ending my singleness, not celebrating it. If you don't know, there is even a television show out there with the same name as this blog - #he Singles Project. This Bravo production could just as easily be named the Hook-Up and Marriage Project.

Are all singles just mindless dating machines? Do we actually do or think about anything except the next hook-up? My God! If you cut us, do we not bleed!?

Along these lines, I wanted to pull a Top 10 list from Google to prove my point that all that is out there for/about Singles is dating websites and blogs. I was pleased to see that I've taught my Google better than that. Here are the Top 10 links I got back on my search.

Dear Google,

Tell me about "single."

Love,
Betty

~~~~~~~~~

Dear Betty,

Got you covered, kid. I think you might like the following:

1. Meetup.com local singles group.
2. Wikipedia page for: single (music)
3. Datehookup.com
4. Google map of local businesses that somehow relate to the search word, for instance, Nanotechnologies.
5. Seattle Times article: "Sorry, guys, Amazon's not why you're single."
6. Dictionary.com definition for single.
7. Yelp search page for: How's the single life in Seattle?
8. Seahawks Single Game Tickets.
9. "The High Price of Being Single in America." (theatlantic.com)
10. "In Defense of Single Motherhood." (nytimes.com)

Love,
Google

PS. You might also enjoy: "Being single and lonely are not the same thing." (slate.com)

~~~~~~~~~

So, in the spirit of my own approach to singleness, I propose that 2015 is about more than just dating or who to date or complaining about not having a date. If you've been reading, you'll note we rarely discuss this aspect of our lives anyhow. A single life is a full one, full of fashion, friends, family, finances, fun... as well as the other f-word it is usually associated with.

<3 Betty <3