The Price of Being Single

 A few weeks ago I reached my breaking point. I was desperate for social interaction, preferably with other Mormon singles. My local area does not have a singles program, so I rely on friends in other towns to keep me informed of activities. And as luck would have it, there was a singles activity taking place near one of my friends.
I had to drive a few hours to get there. I left at 8:30 a.m. and got home around 8:30 p.m. I spent about $50 in gas, plus $10 admission, and money for food. All in all, this singles activity took up 12 hours of my day, and cost me about $75.
$75 is a lot of money for a social outing, but especially so in my underemployed condition.
Was it worth it? Well... not really.
The activity itself was okay. I got to see my friend and chat with her, and that was nice. I don't think she will be offended though if I say that I wouldn't normally spend $75 just for the chance to hang out with her. I met some nice people at the activity, but nothing really important or interesting. It was mostly just chatting to pass the time. There were 15 women and 3 men there. If you are a Mormon single over 30, and not in a singles congregation, you probably are impressed with that number. 3 whole men! That's not a bad number! If you are not over 30, Mormon, and single, (or you are in an industrious and active singles ward), you probably are shocked that I would drive a round-trip 6 hours and spend $75 for those odds. Such is life as an old maid Mormon.
As for me, I just kind of feel like it wasn't a good use of my funds. It did get me out of the house, and I did get to see an historical site I have never visited before, so I can't complain too much. But mostly I wish I had my $75 back to buy a new dress or put into savings.
This is the cost of being single. You have no choice but to invest financially and hope for a payoff. But after so very many years of being single, I can't help but feel like I have made some very poor investment decisions. And maybe I should save my money rather than throw it after big dreams with poor returns.

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