Sex and the City frequently captured the sentiments of single life with a punctuation mark. Frequently the question posed was "Single and Fabulous?" The insertion of the question mark says it all, doesn't it?
In one episode, Samantha hosted a party for the girls replete with music, appetizers, and cocktails. They seemed to have it all. However, the next scene showed Samantha sick with the flu and alone. When she was fun, sexual Samantha she had a plethora of suitors. When she was needy and sick, no men could be found.
Nothing reinforces singledom like being sick. Everyone digresses. You want your mommy or at least a mommy substitute who will make you soup, bring you juice and rub your tummy.
When you're single, you spend your sick days trudging to the kitchen to make your own soup and get your own juice. Invariably you lose weight. Everyone thinks that you lose weight because you lost your appetite. However, often you're hungry. You are just too damned tired to get up to get something to eat and drink. It's surprising that more single people don't die of dehydration!
In your dehydrated state, you begin to fantasize that it would be so much better to be married and sick because someone would be there to care for you.
I have learned from my married friends that often it sucks to be sick and married too. Many men aren't caretakers. Therefore as a woman, whether you are sick, your husband is sick, or your kids are sick, you are the one making the trek to the kitchen. You cook the soup, get the juice (that you bought at the store) and rub your own damned tummy. My co-worker said it most succinctly, as a female, being sick is an indulgence reserved for children and singles.
To be true, when I think back on my growing up, I have absolutely no memories of my mother being sick. I am sure that was sick at some point, she must have been. I just have no memories of it. While I remember my dad picking me up from school when I was at the nurse’s office, I have no memories of my dad taking care of me when I was sick. I am sure that he did, but I think that your mind plays tricks on you. I am also positive that he didn’t take care of me as frequently as she did.
As soon as I get over this flu, I shall remember just how fabulous my life is. I'll even be glad that nobody was with me as I blew my nose raw, failed to comb my hair and forgot to shower. Until I am recovered though, I shall whine and mope. My childhood taught me that those are as much a part of being sick as the soup!
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