I recently attended a concert with friends of mine — Carol and Bob, and Ted and Alice. We've all been friends for years, so I was a little surprised when Bob said to Ted and Alice, “We should have you guys over for dinner sometime,” while obviously not including me in the conversation. I don’t need to be with all of my friends, all of the time, but it seemed like such a laid back affair (we’re not talking mansions and master chefs here) that it seemed rude not to invite everyone to the party. My surprise turned to horror when Bob added, “Yeah, and I’ll ask Tim and Cheryl over as well.”
You don’t need even numbers for group sex; my friends had turned into a couples-only couple.
I don’t have problems being the third, fifth, or even seventh wheel. But there are some coupled people who feel that their time is suddenly best spent with other paired-off individuals. Is it that only people in established relationships can understand your new, witty outlook on life? Or are they so afraid that an “unclaimed” person is somehow a threat to their healthy, unbelievably great romance? Single people are more inclined to be out and doing things, which generally results in interesting stories at the dinner table. Are we leftovers, a reminder of times past, or times to come?
Because in the back of their minds, they must realize that in a few years, half of their bridge table will probably be divorced. Which will leave a lot more of those awkward single people running around. |
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| July 27, 2004 |
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