Relationships July 11, 2017
It's not what you think.
Everyone was dating everyone. Breakups coincided with budding romances, someone cheated on someone else, someone else had unrequited love.
If this situation sounds familiar, then you were probably the single friend. In other words, you were the eye of the hurricane that is high school relationships.
Now if you spent most of your high school career single, Cosmo would probably tell you some crap about your “lack of confidence” or your “missing daredevil gene.” Well, we’re here to tell you that the pros of singleness outweigh the problems. Being single was actually an incredibly valuable experience to have… especially in high school.
Here are five fantastic reasons you were single in high school.
You were the constant, the knight in shining armor when Jerk #4 breaks Shelly’s heart for the fourth time (this week). High school is a breeding ground for tumultuous relationships and a lack of communication.
Your friends in a relationship need a house to burst into and a shoulder to cry on. Your singleness made them feel more comfortable about their newfound singleness.
Let’s face it — in high school, everyone dates each other way more than they should. Your friend group can only be so large, and it’s common to see couples date for a while and switch off partners, like it’s some four-year speed dating round.
And when Jake dates Shelly who dated Michael who dated Shayna who dated Kevin who dated Shelly, it’s a lot easier to stay out of it. Plus, it was a lot easier to hold onto friendships when there was no guy to come between you.
You stayed up all night studying for your Pre-calc test, completing an unreasonable amount of reading for AP Language & Composition, oh, and filling out an insufferably boring study guide for your exam on the Krebs Cycle. It didn’t help that you got home from musical rehearsal at 9:30 p.m., and that you finished dinner around 10:15 p.m.
What would a boyfriend do to that level of productivity? They may not have destroyed it, but your grades probably would have suffered. Getting a boyfriend is like adding a three-unit night class that is held seven days a week. New relationships take time and investment — neither of which you had at the time. Being the single friend probably saved your GPA… not to mention a lot of sleep.
Although you are frugal, your friends have expensive habits when it comes to restaurants. Not to mention the colossal financial investment that is college, gas, food and literally anything else. A relationship is a financial investment as well as an emotional one… you chose to invest in your future.
Without all of those sleepless nights slaving over study guides and SAT practice tests, you would not have been accepted to the University you applied for. You definitely would not have seen the audition poster for the winter production of “Pride and Prejudice.” You would not have auditioned to get into the play. And ultimately, you wouldn’t have met your current boyfriend during the first rehearsal.
Okay, maybe it doesn’t happen exactly like that, but you get the picture. It’s impossible to know what opportunities come about in college, especially when it often takes guys (and girls) a little longer to mature.
Your role as the single friend was invaluable to the chaotic lives of your friends in relationships — and gave you time to focus on other things. It made you sympathetic, involved and supportive.
Embrace your singleness… you just might have saved yourself from duds.
