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- Xref: sparky alt.romance:14140 soc.singles:30926
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- From: bradl@neptune.informix.com (Brad Levy)
- Newsgroups: alt.romance,soc.singles
- Subject: Re: Being Alone?
- Message-ID: <1992Nov17.024843.8531@informix.com>
- Date: 17 Nov 92 02:48:43 GMT
- References: <1992Nov13.204505.16898@cbfsb.cb.att.com> <009639BA.741609A0@Msu.oscs.montana.edu> <1992Nov15.153551.13462@bnlux1.bnl.gov>
- Sender: news@informix.com (Usenet News)
- Distribution: usa
- Organization: Informix Software, Inc.
- Lines: 73
-
- In article <1992Nov15.153551.13462@bnlux1.bnl.gov> schroede@bnlux1.bnl.gov (gary l. schroeder) writes:
- >In article <009639BA.741609A0@Msu.oscs.montana.edu> oopcv@Msu.oscs.montana.edu writes:
- >
- >>I agree with everything John said, with one caveat: I don't think it's a good
- >>idea to be alone too long. I know a awful lot of men and women who've done
- >>such a fabulous job of adjusting to singlehood that they no longer date, simply
- >>because it's too much trouble and they can't be bothered. Literally. I found
- >>myself falling into the same trap; so, I resolved to make more of an
- >>effort to get out of the d*mn house!
- >
- >I like to make the effort too, but I start to wonder: what's the point
- >of going out to the bars with friends all of the time ? (Not even good
- >friends, mind you, but it's that "effort".) You know you should go if
- >they ask, otherwise you might not get asked anymore. Too many refusals
- >is usually a sign to people. Theremust be some other way of getting
- >"out of the house" other than going to bars where you just drink until
- >you say "well, I've fulfilled my obligation to be socially active this
- >Saturday night". At least that way, you've killed the little voice in
- >your head that says "hey, this is sad sitting alone watching the tube or
- >listening to Shostakovich on a Saturday night". Instead, you get the
- >voice that says "you only went out for the sake of going out, and
- >nothing happened anyway. Everyone knows that you don't meet people in
- >bars, stupid." Which voice is worse? I'm not sure. The big problem
- >is this: living in an area where there really is _nothing_else_ to do.
- >If you're not drinking on the weekends, you're catching a movie. That
- >gets old after a while. Does this mean I'm falling into the "trap"? I
- >know the trap that you're talking about, and it scares me to death.
- >
- >I never wanted to live on Long Island. I was forced to. I needed the
- >job. This whole issue of being single gets even more complicated when
- >you're a transplant from another geographic area. And, it's even worse
- >than that if the new area you get moved to has a different culture than
- >the one you were raised in. One in which, if you don't drive a 4 wheel
- >drive vehicle, are an unemployed weight-lifter named "Vinny" and have a
- >speech impediment, means that you spend Saturday night watching tube or
- >listening to Shostakovich.
- >
- >>Everyone's situation is different (I'm SO-less by choice!), but it might be
- >>worth a minute or two of thought for those moaning that you haven't had a date
- >>in years...maybe it's time to stop looking for Mr/Ms Right, and go to a movie
- >>with Mr/Ms It's Saturday.
- >
- >Y'kmow, it's funny you should mention this attitude Cheryl, because I
- >recently came to the same conclusion myself. But then I wonder why I
- >would spend time with someone I couldn't talk to. If I _could_ talk to
- >them, then they might be candidates for Ms Right, right? No, I'm not
- >going to catch a flick with Ms Saturday Night just to go. There has to
- >be another reason. Otherwise, I sit there thinking "well, now that
- >we've talked about what our favorite drinks are and where we work, we've
- >exhausted the topics of conversation, because if I say anything more
- >meaningful, the eyes will glaze over".
- >
- >No flames please. Thank you for your consideration.
- >
- >
- >--
- >------------------------------------------------------------------------
- >Gary L. Schroeder |
- >schroede@bnlux1.bnl.gov | It's a pomaceous life.
- >Brookhaven National Laboratory |
-
- Gary - This isn't meant as a flame, but there are other places besides bars
- and movie theatres (and home in front of the TV) to spend Saturday nights.
- Maybe you have fallen into the trap of thinking they don't exist. Things
- like contra dancing. (Nice social atmosphere - usually no alcohol involved.)
- Or lots of other cultural activities. Doesn't have to be at Saturday night -
- might be during the day, esp. if travel is needed. Zoos, museums, lots of
- activities. Activities at which you are much more likely not to meet someone
- whose eyes glaze over as soon as you say anything more meaningful than talking
- about favorite drinks. There are much more isolated places than where you
- live. (Try western South Dakota...)
-
- -brad
-