West London Girl

How to make the most of singlehood

December
4

As my most recent former fiancé kindly reminded me, I now have three failed engagements behind me

A glut of books, claiming to be humorous, are vying for attention this Christmas. As a fan of his regular Guardian column, I rather like the sound of Tim Dowling’s timely – considering Christmas is peak divorce season – How to Be a Husband. Dowling should know; he is an American who has been married for 20 years to an (usually unnamed) Englishwoman.

I wouldn’t know (and not just because I’m female). As my most recent former fiancé kindly reminded me, I now have three failed engagements behind me. Kate, however, saw this as quite an achievement rather than a mark of failure. ‘Engagements are meant to be broken, so the French say,’ she said. ‘You won’t be single for long so enjoy it,’ she added.

With that in mind, here are my top 5 tips for making the most of singlehood (while it lasts)…

  1. Hog the bed
    Sleep diagonally. Go to bed early with a glass of whisky to watch the latest episode of Veep (admittedly I’m still on Mad Men) on Friday. Stay out late on Monday.
  2. Book a flight
    See friends who’ve moved abroad and whom you haven’t caught up with in ages.
  3. Enjoy cleanliness
    The house rules may have failed. Now it’s only your mess.
  4. Have a fling
    He’s 10 years younger/lives on another continent/is a bit too flashy. Perfect.
  5. Spend time with married friends
    Discover their daily rhythms. Even the best marriages aren’t perfect but they’re solid and they’re a good reminder of what’s important in life: love, relationships, being part of a community, food, and travel.

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