Friday, November 16, 2007

Singlehood

I am the last one.

Well, the last female anyway. Among my close circle of friends (you know, the ones that make up the core of your social group) I am "the single girl." There are a couple of guys that are also single, but I am that third/fifth/seventh wheel. It's not my favourite thing.

Don't get me wrong, I adore my friends. They are some of the most beautiful, talented, comical people I have had the privilege of being associated with. But at times (ok, most times) I feel a little twinge of jealousy when I'm the only one at the table without a hand to hold.

I'm not usually this candid.

I've had one "real" relationship in my life. It started off wonderfully. We made a lot of mistakes. It ended terribly. He shattered my heart into a thousand little fragments I never thought I would put back together. A friend of mine told me once that because I'm opinionated and not scared to speak my mind, have had my heart broken the ways I've had, and still wear it on my sleeve, I'm one of the sexiest women he knows. I didn't feel it at the time, I was flattered and it endeared me to him but I just couldn't really believe him.

Now I can kind of see that.

I think about relationships, the way they should be, and I get this tug behind my navel that says "I want that." I want it more than I want a Macbook, a dog, a white Mercedes, a house in the hills of a beautiful southern state, or to sing on Broadway.

There have been guys, some that I really didn't like and some that I really did. The ones I liked didn't make it past that awkward phase. I got nervous, said something (or things) that weren't me and I didn't really mean so they didn't get to know me and moved on. Because the person I portrayed wasn't cool, intelligent, or funny. She was just dumb. And she was scared, scared to get really honest because then they would abandon her completely devastated just like he did.

I didn't give us a chance to get close so that if it didn't work out, no one's broken-hearted.

I want to get out there and meet him, fear be damned because the payoff will be huge.

So let's get honest. Let's not shy away from who we are.

I am opinionated and I think myself into dizziness. I love fiercely and care deeply. I am smart and funny and full of creative potential. I wear my heart on my sleeve but hide behind the walls I built for myself.

I am beautiful and he's going to be the luckiest guy I'll know.
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I can't believe I'm putting this out there...

8 comments:

Larissa said...

I love your sense of self...retain that, please! Always. Too many people IN relationships really have no idea who they are, and that has awful results.

Kate said...

I second Larissa.

He really is going to be the luckiest guy, and he'll be someone who enables you to stay you even on that awkward first date.

At 23 I was the single one, apart from some time in not-so-good relationships when I lost myself completely.

From 23-24, I gained so much self awareness, and when I was 24 I met Mr Right. I'm the luckiest girl on earth, and he's the luckiest guy. They're all still happy, and sometimes I feel a bit conscious of the fact that I'm (hopefully soon to be) getting engaged to someone I've known for two years, while they've all been together for 5/6/7. But I'm glad I met him when I did and not any earlier, and I'm glad I got to spend my early 20s figuring myself out.

OK- sorry for the novel. Hi, I'm Kate and I just came here from the 20 somethings RSS feed!

Katelin said...

I definitely third Larissa's comment and it's weird how similar I am to Kate. I was the single friend basically forever. I never really had a serious boyfriend in high school or college. And at times I hated it, but man I loved it most of the time. It's a great time to enjoy yourself and just have fun. And if anything, Mr. Rght may even find you when you're not even looking. :)

Alexis said...

Thanks y'all! I was pretty nervous about this post, so your comments are so encouraging.

Larissa: I think that was truly one of the best results of the bad relationship and I am very grateful for it. You are so right!

Kate: Thanks for reading and sharing. And congratulations, no matter how long y'all have known each other you have found something special and that's what's important. :)

Katelin: It's true, I am having fun. You're right, he will probably find me when I'm not looking so I'm just gonna put myself in places where we might meet! ;)

Anonymous said...

I have loved all of your previous posts, but this was one of the absolute best. Being candid was hard for me too at first, but doing it makes me feel so much better that I just keep pushing myself.

You're great!!

Alexis said...

Yeah, it's nerve wracking to put that kind of stuff out there, but it pays off because it always seems to be the most identified with...

Thanks, I like you too!

Jess said...

Hot diggity. You've got some self-R-E-S-P-E-C-T - find out what it means to me! Whoo! (Just so you know, my brain is dead. I would write something better and more insightful, but again. Brain dead.) Um. Also. Don't ever lose yourself for a guy. I've been there. It's bad. Though you'd never tell from my utterly charming exterior.

Becka Robinson said...

:) I can't wait to meet him either! He's gonna have to be pretty effing amazing.