| Those Who Choose to Stay Single |
| Sunday, November 29 2009 |
  By Kim Calvert My father’s only sister, my Aunt Dorothy, was born in 1906 and she never married. I know she had boyfriends, including one torrid love affair with a college professor at Vanderbilt University, but she chose not to become his wife. I believe it was because she was dedicated to her profession as a high school history teacher. She’d earned a master’s degree (rare for a woman in those days) and was passionate about civil rights and the fundamental ideals our country was founded upon – and she was committed to sharing that passion with her students. Dorothy wouldn’t let anything get in the way of her mission, despite that in those days, a woman was expected to give up her career and become a dutiful wife. A career was a transitory stage for a woman ― something that happened in between high school and marriage. I think my Aunt Dorothy was like many singulars today. They are so passionate about their purpose that the idea of sacrificing it in order to be sufficiently present in a relationship (as you must be in a marriage) is like asking them to chop off the most vibrant and beautiful part of themselves. That’s not to say singulars of this type don’t enjoy rewarding romantic relationships, but they have such dedication and passion for their purpose that they simply cannot sacrifice it – they will not – because it is so much of who and what they are. Be it a physician, an athlete, an artist, or a teacher like my aunt Dorothy. So next time you hear someone say, with disdainful judgment, that so-and-so never married, look beyond the “what’s wrong with them?” knee-jerk response, and look for the passion and purpose they are “married” to. How about you? What do you think? I would love to hear from you. Please post your comments below 
Kristen Elizabeth Snyder
Wonderful article! I was engaged to be married on the east coast just 6 months ago, but came to a mutual agreement with my significant other that I could never truly be happy if I did not move to LA and live my out my true passion of working in the film industry. We still talk as friends and I am now dating others who aren't on the opposite side of the country. But as for marriage, I believe in the near future we will see the average age of people living in cities and getting married jump from 25 years old to 50.
Monday 30 November 2009, 18:23
C
I agree with this article and yet there is something more. . . . so many people get married because it is "time" because we reach a certain age or point in our lives. People get married and then find out they are not happy with the person, and also because what they sacrificed to get married was not worth the outcome.
Monday 30 November 2009, 21:14
O000
Excellent article. I really enjoy reading this. I'm a 35 year old single woman. I love being single! I don't like relationships. I don't like dating. It annoys me when men ask me out. I like to be left alone. My life is easy and less stressful than my married friends.
Monday 07 December 2009, 03:58
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