The Other Side of the Single Life

If a lot of people out there are desperate to find a suitable marriage partner, I can say that the situation seems to show no signs of alleviating itself. Lately I’ve noticed that anywhere from 10% to 15% of an average movie audience are single people going to the show by themselves. Five years ago, when I went to the movies, I was the only one in the audience who didn’t have a girlfriend.

Lately I’ve noticed that more and more people are going to restaurants by themselves. Obviously, in these tough economic times, a lot of people have realized that it’s just not worth taking out a dating partner that you don’t find attractive or desirable or fun to be with. It’s not worth the money, the time, the trouble--and, after all, maybe all of those single moviegoers just simply want to see the movie.

MATTHEW OKADA

Pasadena