Like a Jew at Christmas...

...I feel left out because I'm single on Valentine's Day. And I'm growing comfortable in the idea that I may have CHOSEN the single lifestyle.

I've been watching some of TLC's new show, "My First Home." Great show! As the title implies, it's about dogs who take care of fish... Anyway, the show does a documentary-style follow-around of families and single people who are buying their first homes. One episode followed a 22-year-old dental assistant in Vegas as she bought her first home. Valley Girl bought a $170k home, then decided to go shopping. GOD, I miss the days where I was oblivious to a budget. And by "the days," I mean "last week."

Anyway, the show does a great job of showing what a long, drawn-out, pretty much DAUNTING process it is to buy a new house. Who knew? (except for my good friend Kerri Richardson...who ROCKS OUT her 2-bedroom, 2-bath) It's something that seems simple...find a house, get a loan, put down an offer, move in, host evening of debauchery...but it's obviously not. It's a process that takes a lot of time, energy...and patience. Now, the payoff in the long run is you have a home that you might settle down for decades in, or you might only spend a year or two there and move on to something better somewhere else. So, here's my analogy...

Buying a home is like finding someone with whom to spend your free time. You're always looking for something that looks nice on the inside and the outside that requires little upkeep. Maybe the occasional trim on the front lawn and deciding whether to match the carpet and drapes. Something you don't want to put a lot of money into, but at the end of the day, something you WANT to come home to and relax with. (yes, I'm ending my sentences with prepositions...sue me)

But it's not an easy or quick thing to accomplish. You look at a LOT of "homes," spend some time with them, get comfortable...decide if you can really see yourself with it. And there's always going to be disappointment. Maybe your loan falls through, maybe someone else snatches up the home before you can...maybe you just don't see anything you like for a while.

The people on "My First Home" get a camera to do a little video diary through the homebuying process. They're excited, they're frustrated, they're ready to throw in the towel, they're excited again, etc. Same thing with dating. And let me tell you...buying a home (and I really do mean "buying a home" here) seems daunting, almost like a chore, and I'm not really looking forward to it. Strangely enough, I kind of feel that way about dating. Looking at all the homes (read: "women") out there is fun and it's nice to picture myself with them, but I realize I need to get my finances (read: "life") in order before I think about buying a home, and at 30, still moving around the nation for my career, I think I'll buy a home (read: "buy a home") before I buy a home (read: "date").

But who knows what's around the corner? Could be a "Dead End" or it could be a road that's "Slippery When Wet"...wait, that didn't come out right...

Bottom line, whether you're single this Thursday or whether you're part of a couple (or trio...whatever you're into), loathe or enjoy Valentine's day, but remember it's only one day in a long series of chapters of the book of life you're writing.

Hey, it's Valentine's Day...I can be a little sappy. Suck it.
-B-