The Cornerstone The Cornerstone February 2018 | Page 8

DEAR SINGLE PEOPLE,
I
t’s almost time. Soon, pink hearts and red ribbons will consume local
stores, and the candy aisle will be stocked with assorted chocolates.
Valentine’s Day is approaching, but many girls have no one to spend
it with. Maybe you broke up with your significant other, or maybe
you never had one in the first place. Either way, there’s no beau to be
seen. But if anyone hasn’t told you yet, that’s totally normal (and okay).
I know, I know, high school is portrayed as the place where you go on
your first date, have your first kiss, and get in your first relationship. Teen
movies have made sure of that. But for many, that isn’t the case. The life
of a high school student has become so heavily overrun with school and
extracurriculars that relationships are pushed to the side. Who has time
to keep up with a significant other when research papers are due?
Times have changed since the days of our parents, where relationships
were amongst top priorities and *gasp* going to a dance without a date
was unheard of. Now, a large portion of dances are made up of groups of
friends, and it’s far from taboo to go without a date. Even in adulthood,
people are getting married much later in life than they once did, so it only
makes sense that people start dating later too.
I know several seniors who’ve never even gone on a date, so it’s far from
abnormal if you haven’t. There’s nothing weird or wrong with you.
That said, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being in a relationship
either—they’re hard work and I applaud anyone who puts in the time for
that commitment, but they’re definitely not required. High school is full
of experiences that don’t require a significant other, and you should never
be ashamed of not having one.
There’s more to life than being in a relationship, and no one will think
less of you if you’ve never had a significant other. In fact, many will
probably respect you for waiting for the right person. The point is that
there’s no reason to rush into a relationship for the sake of maintaining
“social norms” (which are rapidly deteriorating every year anyway).
Girls and guys, especially freshmen who are still trying to figure out high
school, don’t let yourself be pressured into relationships. Maybe your
friends found people to be with, and that’s awesome, but if you try to
force yourself into one when you aren’t ready or haven’t found the right
person, chances are it’s not going to end up well. You don’t get to choose
when you fall in love—it just happens.
IT’S OKAY TO BE SINGLE,
JESS BENDA
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THE BEAR EDOM
OF SINGL
8 Page Open Letter
DON’
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SING BE SA
LE D D
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HE’S A STRONG
INDEPENDENT MAN