Hey everyone,
I was just curious about as to how long everyone here has been single.
For instance, someone who's been single for 6 months is in a different place than someone who's been single for 6 years. In the poll (which is anonymous), I included the category, "I've been single my whole life and have never had a significant other," because that's a little different from someone who's been single 20 years but was once married or in a long-term relationship.
I am also interested in everyone's definition of "single": I have known some people who identify as themselves as Christians and consider themselves to be single when they are non-married. In other words... they could be intimately involved with someone or living with someone, but they still consider themselves single.
I know others who casually "see" people (and know them intimately) but yet still insist they are single. I realize they are technically not married and I'm not sure what classification that would be, but for my own definitions, I don't view someone who is sleeping with another person as being "single."
I have even known some people who say they are Christians who are intimately involved with married people but claim they are single because it's the married person that's committing adultery, not them, since they are not married.
For me, "single" means not dating someone exclusively, not being married (as in, not just being separated but officially and legally divorced--I once saw a person describe herself as a "single married Christian", which had me scratching my head; but these are just my own beliefs), not being intimately involved with anyone for any reason, and not being in a relationship. I occasionally go on dates, but only a few times a year and nothing has ever lasted beyond a dinner conversation (except in one case, where we went out a few times, but he soon went back to his ex-girlfriend without mentioning anything to me--I found out through a friend.)
This spring, I will have been single for 10 years. I'm thinking I should probably celebrate somehow (the lessons God has taught me and the fact that He's been with me) but guess I have some time to plan.
What about the rest of you? What is your definition of "single" and how long have you been in that state?