And I don’t mean any of my close friends, but I just want to say that I get REALLY frustrated with married people who can’t seem to ever find any time for their single friends. It just really pisses me off. I think it boils down to a matter of priorities. And the same goes for my stupid smug married friends who constantly cancel on me because of some schedule change due to their spouse.

As you might have guessed, this isn’t coming out of nowhere. One of my “new” friends has been rescheduling dinner with me for four months now. FOUR MONTHS. Every time we have it scheduled, something happens (usually the day of) and she can’t make it. Sometimes they’re very good reasons and I don’t blame her for it. Other times they’re reasons like, “Oh, well, I talked to my husband and he really wanted to go out to dinner tonight, so do you mind if we reschedule?” Well, it’s getting to a point now where I’m past understanding and getting just frustrated…especially when she cancels the day of. THAT really bugs me. I mean, it’s not as though I necessarily have anything else going on, but rather it’s just the principle of it. Don’t commit unless you really mean it. Keep your promises. Be a woman of your word. Why does that seem to be so difficult for some people??

My whole thing on why I think it’s just another case of priorities is that Dana and I have been meeting for lunch once a month whenever we’ve lived within driving distance of each other. Not only is she married, but she works full-time and has two kids and she STILL is able to carve out one afternoon a month to spend with me. Now I’m sure it’s not all about me - I’m sure she does it some for herself as well since it means she can get out of the house for a bit, etc. but still. I don’t think she has ever cancelled on me. Not once in all these years.

So the whole Lesley-thing is disappointing - and this goes for all the other women I’ve met who are married with kids and “too busy” to ever have coffee or do anything else social with me. Disappointing because I feel like saying to them, “Look, I know your life is full of people and places and things - and I’m glad you have a husband and family and all…and I appreciate that it may be difficult to find a couple of hours on a Saturday to spend with your single friend(s). But do you know how lonely us singles in suburbia are? Do you know how much we look forward to things like someone else to have dinner with - or even just spend some time talking to? Do you have any idea how much it means to us when you DO take the time out to just be a friend?”

I’m just very disappointed and tired of getting let down because, let’s face it, I’m still an optimist and so every time we reschedule and I come into work on the day we’re supposed to get together, I’m still excited and keep thinking, “Surely she won’t cancel this time!” So when she does, I’m just bummed out all over again. And I don’t feel like I can tell her this because, well, 1) we’re not good enough friends yet; and 2) it would just make her feel badly because she is a very sweet and sensitive person and I don’t want to do that to her.

And so as with so many things like this, I’ll cry a little, throw it in our blog, and outwardly suck it up.