My dad (that’s Baltimore magazine owner Steve Geppi, in case you didn’t know) told me a funny story the other day: He was out in Little Italy, having lunch with my brother, Josh, and he ran into one of his friends “from the neighborhood” (i.e., born and raised in Little Italy). This particular friend was an older Italian gentleman who was going on and on about how much he loves Baltimore magazine. (Duh! Whats not to love?) Then he brought up my column, which I was pleased to hear he was an avid reader of. However, his take on it was a bit surprising: “When is that daughter of yours going to stop complaining? Every month she’s complaining. Like she wants us to think she’s got it so hard!” Hmm . . . clearly not my best review. And that got me thinking.
When I first started this column nearly two years ago, my agenda was clear. I wanted to remind people that the single status was something to celebrate while you had it. When asked why, I frequently used an analogy of a map. If you look at a map and Baltimore represents being single and California represents getting married, you have two options for how to get to your destination: flying or driving. Now, while flying may offer you the quickest way to get there, driving offers you a far more memorable journey. Clearly, in my life, I have been “driving.” (Sometimes I even think I have been taking all side roads.) But am I running out of gas?
Hearing outside perspectives is often a valuable tool. So many times, we think that we are projecting one thing, but are being perceived very differently. For example, have you ever known someone who was in a miserable relationship but felt the need to state over and over how happy they were? Yet, despite what they wanted you to think they were feeling, the truth was impossible to ignore. So for me, am I kidding myself about enjoying being single?
Honestly, I don’t think so. Do I get tired of going on dates that go nowhere? Sure. Do I get tired of coming home from a long day (good or bad) and having only my dog and cat to talk to about it? Sure. Who doesn’t after 34 years? But I also enjoy the freedom of coming and going as I please, not sharing the remote, and knowing I haven’t settled. No, I haven’t stopped enjoying being single. And if it seems like I complain a lot, I think perhaps it’s because, like anyone on a “cross-country journey,” at times the road seems neverending. But despite the rocky roads and countless speed bumps along the way, I have faith the destination will be worth the trek. Besides, I’d much rather say, “Are we there yet?” than, “Let’s turn around.”
