My special Valentine's Day date was, once again, my friend Susan. I found our being single is not to be pitied. I learned it is a truth while watching CBS Sunday Morning. This program has been on Sunday mornings since I can remember, and it's a magazine type show. LOVE it. They did a story this week on marriage and how it's not as popular a choice in our times. We knew that though. Studies show that the happiest people are not those who are simply in a marriage, it's those who are blessed with a happy marriage. This was followed closely by single women."Married people who are in good marriages are about as happy as you can get, followed by never-married single women 50 years and older who have discovered that, in fact, there are lots of pleasures in singlehood."
Stephanie Coontz, the author of a new book about the evolution of women in society.
They interviewed a woman, Ms. Scandurra, who lives a life similar to mine. Here's an excerpt...
When asked if married people are indeed happier, Coontz said, "Married people who are in good marriages are about as happy as you can get, followed by never-married single women 50 years and older who have discovered that, in fact, there are lots of pleasures in singlehood."
Jane Scandurra is one of them. A successful marketing executive, she owns her home, has her own boat, and a big circle of friends: Everything, it would seem, except a husband.
"The reasons you get married are no longer what they used to be," Scandurra said. "You used to get married in the past, you know, to have sex [because] no one had sex before marriage. You didn't have kids unless you were married. Now, people are having kids outside of marriage. And also, you know, women used to get married for financial security, because they didn't have any other way to sustain themselves. That's all gone."
Scandurra is co-producer of "Single," a documentary about the growing legion of the unmarried.
"I could very easily have gotten married, plenty of times," she said. "But I probably would have been a divorce statistic.
"I feel like I just didn't make a mistake."
Jane Scandurra is one of them. A successful marketing executive, she owns her home, has her own boat, and a big circle of friends: Everything, it would seem, except a husband.
"The reasons you get married are no longer what they used to be," Scandurra said. "You used to get married in the past, you know, to have sex [because] no one had sex before marriage. You didn't have kids unless you were married. Now, people are having kids outside of marriage. And also, you know, women used to get married for financial security, because they didn't have any other way to sustain themselves. That's all gone."
Scandurra is co-producer of "Single," a documentary about the growing legion of the unmarried.
"I could very easily have gotten married, plenty of times," she said. "But I probably would have been a divorce statistic.
"I feel like I just didn't make a mistake."
From http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/13/sunday/main20031693.shtml?tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea
Like Scandurra, I could've married and been divorced like so many others, but I'm waiting for the life that so many of my friends have--that happy married life. One step higher up on life's happyometer. It's either that or I have to be 50 or older to reach singledom nirvana. Not sure what to hope for now--single and over the hill or over the hill and happily in love. It seems they both work! Hope your happyometer is high today!
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1 comment:
Happyometer has burst the little bulb at the end and is off the charts! I want to know where you got that poster about love? Must have for my bedroom!
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