"[Insert name here] are you still single?!"

Being a 21 year-old perpetually single female, I get that question a lot. I'm sure you all have had someone ask you that at least one time in your life. For me, it all started with my Aunt's husband, Mel. The Jewish doctor from Baltimore always thought it was funny to ask the toddler version of myself if I was married yet and that I needed to get a move on. Thanks, Uncle Mel. I feel that perhaps that habitual question of his may have cursed me.

When I would visit family, they would always ask "do you have a boyfriend?" My answer has been the same about 97% of the time. I'm sure some of them question whether I am straight or not, considering I am the only female of my cousins who has not gotten married and/or pregnant before their twenties.

I think my lowest point in all of my single-dom would have to have been about a year and a half ago, when I was a part of a Saturday Night Live-esque show to welcome my small liberal arts college's freshmen to school. It was entitled "Friday Morning Live," affectionately called "FML" (pun intended). The morning of the big show, the Dean of Students, Dean Slay, had a sketch where he asked questions from the audience. Well, I was one of the planted questions. Dean Slay and I joke around often and he asked me earlier that morning, if when I asked my question if he could say something to help me out with the freshman boys. He always joked about things like that. He is sort of like a dad/crazy uncle in that way. I initially thought he was just kidding, so I said "sure, why not?" Little did I know, that he was not kidding.

We were live... Friday morning and it came time for me to ask my question. I stood up in the audience, said my line and the Dean asked "Meagan? Is that you? Are you still single?" He said that in front of the entire freshman class. I was shocked. I just stood there for a few seconds until I came up with "uh-um...maybe?" I went backstage and my friends were doubled over with laughter. "Great!" I thought, "Now all the freshmen are going to know me as 'that single girl.'" I laughed it off. I mean, it was funny but I was utterly embarrassed. Dean Slay apologized. He said that it came out all wrong. Because the man is my mentor, I had to forgive him.

We still joke about it to this day. A year after "the FML incident," I was the TA for a freshmen introductory course and in my class was Dean Slay's son and his roommate. So, the first day the freshman got to campus, the roommate comes up and asks me "Hey, are you single?" I knew immediately that he had been talking to Dean Slay. It was funny and remains a joke between us.

Photo requested by my dear friend, Mary D.

Never the less, Dean Slay did not help me with getting a date that day. Still single.

We all have those times when we feel like social outcasts being single, but the truth of the matter is, more women are single than we think. Off the top of my head I can think of several handfuls. It’s actually quite mind boggling that so many wonderful women are still single. These are all smart, beautiful, and hilarious women. I ask you, the reader’s, opinion on why this is. I will discuss your opinions(they will be anonymous) as well as my own in my in my next post.

So, when people ask you "are you still single?," embrace it knowing that one day you won't have to answer "no." Until then, our quest continues.