Single and Fabulous . . . Exclamation Point!

I am 28 and single. I’ll pause for reaction. Okay, if you’re done gasping and saying “Don’t worry, you’ll find someone,” I’ll move on. I have hit the point in my life where most of my friends are married, some are starting to have babies, and some are even starting to get divorced. To some of them, the idea of being single at my age is terrifying. I’m pretty much used to it at this point and the only times I really wish I had a significant other is when I need to get something off the top shelf or when my friends and I go away for the weekend and I get the couch instead of a bedroom.

Okay, there are other times I think it would be nice to have a significant other but do you never go outside because it’s raining? No, you just put on a raincoat and go about your day. The same thing applies to being single – just because you’re not dating anyone doesn’t mean that your life comes to a stand still. The great thing about my position is that for every friend I have that seriously worries I will end up an old maid there is another one who would never even think to use the word single as an adjective to describe me. Those are my favorite friends, the ones who love me just the way I am, or maybe in spite of the way I am, and occasionally because of my baking skills.

When you’re in your late twenties and single, friends rarely pass up the opportunity to try and set you up with someone. Since very few of my friends even know anyone single, fortunately it doesn’t happen to me very often. Thus far every guy who has been “totally awesome and perfect for me,” has been a total wanker. I have actually had to add must have valid drivers license and no criminal record to my deal breaker list. One would assume that those were givens, but nope, they had to be noted explicitly.

I bring this all up because I recently received an email from a good friend of mine. Apparently she has an older friend who wants his son to find the perfect woman. Obviously the perfect woman part has been found, but whether or not anything would ever work out dating wise, who knows. My friend actually did a really good job wording her email to me and in the reasons of why she thought of me for this guy, being single was 4th, following because he’s also from Montana, because I’m fabulous, and because I’m hot (all her words, not mine). My favorite part (Montana aside) was reason number five: “because he is a major hunter and I thought you might actually dig that as opposed to thinking its weird!”

Ah yes, the mighty hunter. Since I grew up in Montana I am familiar with the sport and am actually pro hunting. Something not all that common in liberal Portland, Oregon. Somehow my friend knew exactly which buttons to push, Montana and hunting. At least I could have a conversation with this one . . . assuming he has a driver’s license.

I’ll have to wait and see what happens, but this is something to note for you married people trying to set up your single friends. My friend learned from experience that the standard “Don’t worry you’ll find someone” line was not the way to go with me. When trying to set your friends up on a date, always make sure that because you’re single falls low on the list of reasons. Because yes, your friends may be single, but chances are they are also pretty fabulous or you wouldn’t be friends with them or trying to set them up. Single and fabulous . . . exclamation point!