A table for three, third wheeling, and awkward conversations with the couple making out in the backseat on your way home from a night out at your favorite bar.

That is the life of the single friend.

We all have them and more importantly, we’ve all been one. Admit it; at some point or another in your life, you were that friend who watched jealously from the side of your eyes as your friend and their significant other practically devoured each other’s faces.

You sat and wondered how long it would be before that was you.

You endured the awkward moment that arose that time the three of you were walking to class and the sidewalk wasn’t wide enough for all three of you to walk side by side.

There is a stigma attached to being the single friend. No one wants to be single these days.

Everyone is jumping on the relationship train without taking time to consider the repercussions of being attached to another human being.

It’s as if being single is worse than death.
When did this happen? When did it become a bad thing to live life at your own pace?

It is perfectly acceptable to not want to be burdened by a relationship during four of the most stressful years of your life.

We’re in our twenties.

If there was ever a time to play the field and try new things it would be now.
Traditionally, college is where we learn the most about who we are as people.

It gives you a chance to be completely selfish in your choices.

Take chances and make mistakes that we’ll definitely regret.

Now don’t get me wrong. Being in a healthy committed relationship is great! If that’s what you want.

I have nothing against those of you who decide to be in a relationship. It’s just that I feel some of you don’t understand that at this point in life we all have different priorities.

What makes you happy isn’t necessarily on my radar.

At some point we as a society decided that being single meant loneliness. Which is completely false.

The two are not dependent. It is completely possible to be alone and happy. Just as it is possible to be in love and feel completely alone.

Friends who feel the need to solve all of your problems are definitely appreciated. They mean well and they only want the best for you.

Unfortunately they feel that what’s best for you is to be in a relationship like them.

They set you up with friends of a friend on blind dates and give you unwanted advice.

They constantly remind you of how happy they are in a relationship, and make you feel crazy for not
wanting the same, never even considering that maybe you’re just as happy alone as they are.

You catch them giving you that sympathetic look when they think you’re not looking.

True friendship is about accepting the parts of a person you don’t exactly agree with. Not constantly trying to change them to fit into a mold that was never made for them.

The point is this: we are all different. We all want different things out of life.

Be considerate of the ones you love and call a friend. Stop and think before you pester.

Consider this: if your single friend smiles all the time and seems to be genuinely happy with their life, leave them alone.

To all the single people: Stop letting the judgments of others dictate your life’s course. Move at your own pace and work on yourself.

What is meant to be will be. Constantly comparing your life to others will only lead to dark places.
Always remember you’re a healthy 20-something with a long life ahead of you.