That time of year is upon us. Some of you will try and mentally block it out. Others will finally delve into the abyss of online dating. Many will, in an unspoken manner, come together with their other single friends and attend events as the cool kids.
Yes: the holidays are coming.
It’s the time of year where relationships, or lack thereof, seem to come under a spotlight. It starts small and unassuming with the Halloween Party. You can dress as your alter ego, show up stag or with a group of friends and no one really pays attention (but we know mental notes are being taken). Then comes the "biggies:" Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve.
***Extra special early stress for those of us who live and/or grew up in the Midwest. You get an early start with Sweetest Day. Those who are familiar with this little known “holiday”, you KNOW what I mean!***
Turkey Day weekend, you can somewhat fly under the radar, if you know what you’re doing. I, for example, focus on the sports aspect of the weekend. My Detroit Lions (don’t hate) always play Thanksgiving Day, so I’m kicking it with my other sports friends without much of a care in the world. My single friends who are in new dating relationships are contemplating taking their significant other to meet the family, or splitting time between the two families (or more). But this is just the ramp-up holiday.
Then its holiday party season. Whether it’s a work party, a gathering with friends or a family event, with each you go through the process of deciding if you need a date or not to each of them. The mental Pros and Cons come into play. Get a platonic date? Your BFF? Worse is if you are casually dating more than one person: who do you pick?!? I’ve witnessed some missteps when it has come to this decision and it wasn’t pretty.
Then comes the mother of all date nights: New Year’s Eve. No matter how hardcore, "I’m fine all by myself" we think we are, this tends to be the one time of year that you kinda sorta want to have a special date. It’s the signaling of a year coming to a close and being able to start anew. The movies have romanticized us to dressing up and the kiss at midnight. It’s okay to want that.
This time of year, sometimes referred to as the Blackout Period, is upon us. You just wish the calendar would jump from November 1 to February 15th (admit it!). I’m working on not having this particular mindset this year and try taking my own advice about having some fun already. We shall see.
