Alone but not Lonely

This is a topic which I have dissected, discussed, spoken about and written about to death......finally I ve given it up as a bad job, not because my opinions have changed but because I ve realized that people will insist on clinging to their preceptions and I am not interested in educating them as long as they leave me alone and not try to impose their beliefs on me.

So, why have I returned to this topic? Because of Shivi's post. This is a subject which refuses to be left alone.

Why is it so difficult to comprehend that single girls can like living alone? If I choose to carve my own life and career and marriage does not figure in the fore front in this scheme, then why does it raise speculation about my status and theories about why I was having problems getting married. Why is it acceptable if a guy waits before getting married but a girl doing so is termed incredulous!! The worst part of it is that people close to us, the very people who have supported us and enabled us to come this far, also believe that it is their and our duty to settle down once the college and job part is done. So, you will find parents emotionally blackmailing daughters that 'humne tumhe kisi cheez se kabhi mana nahi kiya, par ab aage jo karna hai shadi ke baad karna.....' So, you acknowledged that I have a brain which can think for myself, but suddenly you want me to switch it off and let you do the thinking for me......And of course, the good, family values girls eventually give in, just as some day maybe I will eventually give in and take a path without believing in it.......

And then, in our typical arranged marriage scenario, guy and girl meet to have a "frank chat" where standard answers have to be given to standard questions - the most standard of them being "what will you choose - between career and family"? What answer does this dude really expect and will he able to handle a diff ans? And does this guy ever stop to think that the girl is also serious about her career and it is his job to ensure that she never does have to choose!

Let me stop right here while I am able to stop myself from launching into a tirade.....Sometimes, I get stressed out with this.....and tired with this - esp considering the fact that living alone means taking responsibility for all chores in addition to society's censure......I feel like throwing it all away and tell everybody to go to hell........And then I go home, sit alone with a cup of tea - and then the realization hits me that this moment of solitude is worth all the societies and all their censures........