By 2030, 45% of prime working age women in the US, defined as women aged between 25 and 44, will be single according to Census Bureau historical data and Morgan Stanley forecasts – the largest share in history.
Hundreds of those women, from across the US, shared with the Guardian why they were single, how they felt about it and what they would be looking for in a future partner if they were still in the market for one.
“I hated being single after my last relationship broke down,” said Sarah, 43, a sales representative from California. “I miss having someone to cook for, to share things with. But now, my motto is: ‘My alone feels so good, I’ll only have you if your presence is sweeter than my solitude.’”
I don’t disagree with any of this. Didn’t ever marry my ex, told him no, it was never my dream anyway. We were together a long time but in the end I was glad we hadn’t.
My husband wanted to more than I didn’t want to, and since we both had kids it did work out better, also I like his parents, so it’s just nice, & our kids like having more brothers and sisters. Still, told him if we were together 2 years we could move in together, if we were happy living together for 2 years he could ask about marriage.
But I’m only doing this once. We are about a dozen years in and it’s still so good, sex every day, both working, healthy and active which is not a certainty at this age.
I still think divorce (and abortion for that matter) need to be easy, we are better off as a society when people have more choice and aren’t forced into relationships. Just because I don’t want to do either of them I’d still “demand” they be legal. We are all in this together.