How to be Single and Happy - Assignment #1 Reflections

​I know I said I’d be in back two weeks, but I just graded the first assignment students in class wrote, the Singlehood Manifesto, and I just couldn’t wait.  Students have great ideas.  As a writing instructor, I’m required to point out errors in comma usage, as well as spout the phrase “Titles aren’t underlined” and “References are double-spaced.”  I also had to correct the spelling from “matrimonia” to “matrimania” for two of my students.  Other than that, here are some items that stood out to me:
 
One person alluded to “traveling before I settled down.”  Even if that does mirror conventional wisdom about singlehood, at least even if he does marry, he’ll make better, more measured relationship choices as opposed to just jumping into one because “it’s there.”  He also admits how hard they are: “It is about compromise and give & take.”
 
“Why waste the person’s time if you’re not going to get married?”  This person wrote about how she only wants to date if it’s going to get serious.  While it does personify the traditional relationship escalator point of view (nothing wrong with that), at least she’s not going to settle for less than she wants.  Kudos!
 
“The largest hindrance to enjoying the single life is the constant pressure single people to get married and make their own traditional families” – It’s dangerous too.  He cited Kislev here, who’s cited others. 
 
“I’m too pretty to be single” “No, I’m too pretty to be harassed by you, sir” Slow clap here.
 
One gentleman expressed concerns about “who’s taking care of me when I’m old” – To that, I recommend Check out Bella DePaulo’s How We Live Now and Eric Klinenberg’s Going Solo.  I also would like to see us establish intentional living communities for single adults and single seniors.  It could encourage people serving as each other’s lifelines, like my friend Maggie and I have done in case of emergency.
 
A more global comment: I love that they’re applying the term “singlism” correctly in their essays and they offer strategies on how to overcome it.  I’ll also sent them Bella’s article here.
 
Keep up the great work, and keep on doing you!