Not so fast. Some of this is doubtless true. A woman who treats Sex and the City as the primary text on which to build her life is a very foolish woman indeed. Newsflash: Carrie could not afford those shoes--let alone her apartment--writing a weekly newspaper column in the NY Observer. But living alone doesn't have to be tragic. Some benefits:
- The toilet seat is always in position.
- The remote is yours, and yours alone. This means you can lay on the couch all night long watching Lifetime movies.
- You don't have to share a closet with anyone.
I also take issue with the notion that women dress to please men. (Oh, and leather toreador pants? Not in this decade!) I like clothes. I like makeup, perfume, nail polish and jewelry. If God struck every man dead tomorrow, I'd still buy and wear new clothes. It's nice to get a positive reaction from men, but it's not necessary. Wearing a soft cashmere sweater is its own reward.
Women have always felt pressure to find a man, the perfect man. Jane Austen would have been put out of business if it weren't so. At least nowadays a woman can earn her own living and doesn't have to depend on male relatives for survival. And women who adhere to a more traditional lifestyle don't have it so easy either.
As for the horror of aging, again, not a new phenomenon. Youth and beauty have always been assets and women--especially unattached women--were relegated to nonentity status once their youth faded. Thankfully, these days people are living longer and looking better than in the past, even without resorting to the surgeon's knife. Though we do now have that option.
And don't tell me men don't fear aging. Midlife crisis anyone? Trophy wives? Viagra? Rogaine?
Via Charles.
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