How to be single

It's easy to be single in the sense that, if you are not in a relationship then categorically you are single. But it's not easy being single.

I saw the movie in theaters with my mother and my aunt. The main thread of the story is about Alice, a girl who dumps her boyfriend temporarily so that she can go out into the world and 'find herself', figure out who she is as a person, alone. During their time apart, she meets guys and has a string of meaningless flings. When she finally sees her ex again after a particularly sad and empty one-night stand, she tells him that she is ready to be with him, that she knows he is the one. He tells her that he has met someone, that he never needed a break to know that she was the one, but that he has now moved on.

I watched the movie and I was sad. For Alice, for myself, for all the single people out there who are sad and lonely and just want to meet someone and fall in love. Some days, it is so hard to contain my emotions, I feel that anyone can tell how I am feeling by just looking at me.

Alice goes through this whole thing where she doesn't know how to be alone, she is scared if she doesn't meet someone she will be alone forever, she can't unzip her dress by herself and she needs a man to do stuff for her and take care of her. She eventually snaps out of it, creates a pully to unzip her dress for her, and hikes the Grand Canyon alone.

The movie ends with Alice looking out over the canyon at sunrise, spouting some nonsense about being in the moment, enjoying being single and learning how to just be yourself without anyone else, because you may meet someone in a week, a month, so don't let this time pass you by.

I don't know what it says about society that this movie was released on Valentine's day. All I know is that I don't really believe that. I've had enough time to be alone, and I still have no idea who I am.

Maybe it's time to discover that with someone else. I think I'm ready to be un-single.