The Fear of Staying Single

This is a time of flux for my contemporaries and I. The committed ones (not to an asylum though most wish they were) are charting unknown waters with their partners and they have my best wishes. It's the single ones that I empathize with - the set convinced that their clock is fast running out. As the new crop of young blood arrives on the scene, their self image is beginning to dent and doubt is supplanting confidence. Counter-intuitive as it must sound, it is hard to meet interesting potential partners. Some of us have fallen into a routine, one that doesn't involve another entity. I, for one, have embraced this single life with all its quirks and perquisites. There are the inevitable low moments, the stray instances when I am lonely but those are few and far between; yet the status quo seems unsustainable. But this isn't about me.

You'd wonder, where have all the cowboys interesting people gone? If I looked hard enough online, I'd find someone, correct? Ask my friends who have gone the online route and you'll hear the same refrain - people just aren't what they claim to be on their profiles. There is a reason why the "referral" system has stood the test of time; the human filter separates the chaff from the corn resulting in fewer "surprises". For those of us who are Indian, there is another way to a guaranteed happy ending - the oft-beaten Parent route. Enter the 21st Century, living in America with its new rules of engagement and this old Institution is fraught with new obstacles. An irreconcilable divergence in our parents' criteria (family, upbringing, social status, religion) and ours (hip, liberal, smart) has resulted in an impasse. So, what's next?

If you are like me, you're prone to going with the flow. Enjoy every moment for what it's worth and embrace whatever comes your way. Trust your instincts, follow your interests and stay sharp. When that someone that catches your fancy comes along, you don't want to be caught off guard. Good luck and never forget, Que Sera Sera...