Single In School – Take One

Sherpa and the good Dr. have asked me to shed some light on being the single girl in law school. And here’s my first crack at it….

By day I have a decent desk job and by night I’m a slave to the evening law program. Through the whole experience, I’ve managed to balance work, school, and at times a relationship and dating. At the same time, I’ve had my share of bad dates, bad break ups, and the exes that won’t let go. But I’m not going to bore you with the past.

Last week my grandparents came to town. They are kindhearted Midwesterners with a strong desire to see this granddaughter start a family of her own. Not more than an hour into the visit the great inquisition began:

Them: “So, do you have a boyfriend?”

Me: “No. Did you all want to see the Newseum this weekend?” (Short and sweet and try to shift the conversation)

Them: “Why not?”

Me: “Between work and school it’s been difficult to date.” (Truth is I have dated, but nothing has panned out and no sense in confusing them with the specifics. How do you tell your 87 year old grandparents that dating in DC is just not an easy task?)

Them: “It would be nice to see one of our grandchildren married. You know we have about 12 doctors we see now? Things haven’t been great after my heart attack.” (Ah, the guilt card. No fair. I know they aren’t getting any younger.)

Thankfully I’m not the only grandchild so I can share the pressure with my siblings. I was just the lucky one in town who took the heat.

Living in a metropolis like DC where self-motivation runs high and success is measured by boardroom standards it’s not uncommon to find couples exchanging vows after the degrees are earned and careers established. But is there an easy way to communicate to a different generation that marriage comes later in life for some? Despite my best efforts over the years, with close-minded grandparents who come from a small town where couples find love after high school there isn’t room for convincing.