filed in Myths and stereotypes
Cuddle Up, America
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are now more single American adults than married people. 124.6 million, to be exact. That must mean a lot of cats!
image from this isn’t happiness
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Wow! From what I’ve read recently the number was hovering at like 49%. It must have overtaken since those stats were last released. I’m hoping that as time goes on the stigma lessens.
I wonder how on earth cats came to be associated with singles? It just annoys me (along with several other societal notions about singletons).
This latest report is from September, 2014. Majority rules!!
Speaking of societal notions of singletons, anyone else read about the Pope’s statement this week that people who don’t have children are selfish and greedy? I was pretty sickened. I am tired of how single and/or childless people’s many contributions to society go unacknowledged. I may be single and childless, but I am lawyer working for the federal government, and my job is to ensure that millions of low income people have access to health insurance. Somehow, people like me are dismissed as greedy and selfish by a world religious leader. How morally irresponsible is that to condemn those individuals who chose, or happen to be on, a different path?
Eric Klinenberg, who wrote the book, Going Solo, talks about how single people are more likely to volunteer and give back to civic organizations.
This is the inherent danger in painting any group of people with a broad brush whether by race, religion, or marital status. You can call all single/childfree people selfish any more than you can call all married/parents selfless givers. You need only ask the millions of children in foster care for their opinion on the matter!
You *can’t call all single/childfree people selfish
That’s why it’s important to keep informing people of the truth about being single.
Yes, I don’t get the cats thing either. You know, there ARE single ladies out here who happen to have rabbits. And I am certain there are one or two who may have a dog. 🙂
Thanks for validating me. I just finished a DVD tutorial on how to massage my companion rabbit and my bunny is enjoying the benefits as we speak. Am I going overboard with this single pet owner lifestyle? Perhaps, but if doing it is wrong I don’t want to be right!
Pets are the gift that keeps on giving and well worth the attention we lavish on them.
I loved my cat. So different than a dog. But pets are great, no matter what the species.