A friend of mine posted a comment to my thoughts about perceptions of single people in corporate America per a conversation I overheard last week. My premise, based on the conversation I heard, in which I took no part, was that in much of corporate America, singles get the shaft.

To be more specific, I should say "unmarried" folk because there are many couples who never marry, which actually is probably more appealing to me than marriage itself. I come from the Oprah-Stedman school of relationships. Personally, I think there is a ton of value in marriage; however, I don't feel this spiritual obligation to marry the woman I hook up with if she doesn't, although I probably should. I can be totally happy though outside of the construct of marriage.

But this isn't about me at all.

I was clear to note in my post that this so-called discrimination did not include me, and it really never has. It's possible that I just don't realize it. It's possible that I'm really much too easy going to care. However, amateur sociology is quite the hobby of mine, and I am mildly aware of some of the research. I'm just introducing some points. It could have been about midgets or albinos.

Even if I have never really suffered any discrimination for being a single person, I recognize that single people basically have to work harder than married counterparts to achieve the same things in life, particularly as they pertain to just maintaining. Keeping the house clean. Running errands.

She posted a comment inferring that the married-people argument pertains to married people with children, which is the ultimate badge of honor in conservative America -- to be married with children. Just like there is discrimination against the single person, there is definitely some level of discrimination against married couples who choose not to have children.

"Why aren't you having children? Is something wrong?"

"Awww, you're not able. That's too bad."

Anyway, long story short, my musings have nothing to do with children. I'm quite aware of how much work they require. Lucky you. However, I also don't find it necessarily an honorable trait to be a parent for the sake merely of being a parent, which is actually something many Americans actually believe.

Frankly, there are many parents who, ideally, would have had vasectomies or tied tubes in their younger years.

On the other hand, I do find it to be honorable and necessary to generally have my shit together. My very Virgo nature requires that, like I noted in the previous post, that I stay on top of things. Furthermore, I am completely guilty of looking down on myself and others when they don't have their p's and q's in order. I am way harder on myself though than anyone.

Nevertheless, I found a couple of links for folks to check out on the subject:

Site 1

Site 2

It's not a subject I'm passionate about -- being single -- even though it might seem so via this and the other post. However, the conversation those folks were having got me to thinking about how annoyed I get when married folk disrespect my time by assuming mine is freer or less valuable/productive than theirs just because I'm single.

"Dude, can you stay and do x, y and z. I've got to go pick up my kid."

"Hey, man, what do you mean you're busy this weekend? What do YOU have going on?"

That is merely a major, major pet peeve of mine, and the evidence ultimately suggests that my perception is probably supported empirically. It's one of many issues the growing population of singles face; however, these I note are likely the least important of those issues. They're mere annoyances.

And, lest married folk think those issues don't affect them, let me remind you that you're one affair, one heart attack, one car crash, one plane crash, a cancer death, a random murder, a stroke, a tragic accident, etc., away from joining that growing single population.

Truth is, issues of inequity really affect us all at some level. I'm fortunate that it hasn't affected me, but it doesn't change the fact that it's actually real. There are definitely bigger societal issues out there; however, the conversation I overheard didn't pertain to global warming or world hunger. It dealt with this, and it inspired me in a way only a blogger could be inspired -- and that would be mildly with the knowledge that, damnit, I haven't posted anything today.