Being patient...

This weekend I was talking about my single status, and had a girl tell me to “be patient” and that “the right guy comes along when you aren’t looking for it”.  Now, I realize that she was trying to be kind, that she meant well, but before I go on, there are a few things I’d like to illustrate for you about said girl so you can get a better mental picture of it all. 

• This girl is gorgeous.  I mean, stop-and-stare stunning.  I’m no slouch, mind you, but this is the kind of girl that makes the rest of us feel a little less lovely.  Oh, and we were tubing down a river in PA, so we were wearing our swimsuits.  You know how most women are comfortable in their bathing clothes so long as they can wear shorts or a sarong?  Yeah, this girl was just wearing her bikini.  And rocking it. 
• This girl is 23. 
• This girl has been with her boyfriend “on and off” for ten years.  Which means that this girl met her boyfriend when they were freshmen in high school – and they are still together. 
• This girl is also not the brightest bulb in the box.  She is nice.  Super super nice.  (But please read/say that with a tinge of valley girl in your voice and you’ll get the idea.)   

Every time I think I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m an awesome single person – that the fact I haven’t dated anyone seriously in 2 and a half years doesn’t bother me anymore, I realize that I am a big fat liar.  It does bother me.  Of course it does.  And I swear to God that if one more person tells me that “it’ll happen when I stop looking for it” I might punch them in the face.  I don’t know how anyone who wants to find a partner to share their lives with and hasn’t yet found said match could not be looking for it.  Maybe it’s because I’ve watched too many rom-coms, but I want to find more than just a “you’ll do”.  You know what I mean, the guy you keep around because he makes you feel less lonely, more attractive/interesting/fun/pretty/whatever… 

Now, could I have kept dating my boyfriend from high school into adulthood?  Probably – he was really into me.  Well one of them was, the guy I dated as a senior dumped me for a freshman – that was a mess in itself... also not the point here.  But if I was still with a guy from 10 years ago, I’m certain that we’d both be miserable.   And even if I’m so lonely that it hurts, and even if my dog will be my only love for the next 13-16 years, I would rather be awesomely single and happy whenever possible than miserably paired up with the wrong guy.