All the Single Ladies

So a lot of people are all upset about the latest news from Japan, much of which is discussed in this article. Basically, a lot of people in Japan are really not that interested in relationships, marriage, or children. They're not even interested in sex. The government is worried this is going to cause a huge drop in population, although when you're living on an overpopulated island, I'm not really sure what the problem is.

In fact, I'm not really sure what the problem is, in any case. Then again, that's probably because I'm single myself and embrace the concept. One of the things that Japanese people kept saying when it came to relationships is 'it's too much trouble." A lot of the time, I don't think people really let that sink in. When you're single, the only problem you really have is that you're single, and that's only a problem if you let it be. There are ways to handle sexual desire by yourself and you can cuddle a pillow. You can go places with friends, you can live with friends, and you can basically fill your life with as much people as you want . . .or as little, because you have the freedom to do so.

Compare that to a relationship. You have to spend money. You have to look good. You have to consider their feelings. You have to deal with their drama. You have to compromise. You have to work at the relationship. You have to make decisions with them in mind. AND you have to do all of this with absolutely no guarantee that they will do the same or that any of your efforts will matter in the slightest. You could put all this work into it and gain nothing.

If you're single, you have to do none of this stuff. Your work and effort can be focused on you, with a guarantee of return because YOU are the one in question. How much effort you put in will be what you get out in return.

The same is true for the kids thing. I hear people all the time talk about how their kids are the best thing in their lives. This does not make me want kids. It actually just makes me feel bad for these people, especially the ones who have really crappy kids. Again, you can devote years of your life to this kid and end up with nothing. This kid may grow up and never speak to you again.

Some people will argue that a population not having children is terrifying for the future . . . but the thing is, it's really ONLY terrifying for people who already have kids. I don't have children, so what happens in the future past the point of my living just isn't that much of a priority to me. I'm certainly not going to have a kid so that it IS a priority. That is just insane.

Being single is awesome. You are free from all the endless demands other people can make on you. You're free to spend your money on you and spend your time on you. If you want to read every book in the world, you can try. If you want to travel, you can. If you want to destroy your health on fat, sugar, and smack, you can. It's really okay because no one else is tied to you to get hurt in the process. You are free. Stop beating yourselves up for having the best circumstances you could possibly have.