"It's not too late"

This was the statement I got from a woman I was sitting next to getting my nails done on Saturday when she asked if I had any kids.  I said, "Nope, I have a dog" and smiled and she said "Well, it's not too late".  SERIOUSLY?  Did I ask her with my eyes, do you think I still have a chance?  Did I somehow give off a sign to her that my biological clock was slowly dying? No, I was simply enjoying my pedicure and neck massage and then all of a sudden I was a spinster on her way to a life of cats and crocheting.

Let's keep in mind this woman was the mother of 6 ranging in ages from 13 to 5 and she herself was rounding the corner to 50. She was right, if I was on her schedule of creating my own soccer team, it was Not too late.  But when she offered for me, a perfect stranger, to watch her kids in case I "needed a reassurance of birth control" I thought why is she telling me it's not too late?  She's trying to pawn her offspring to someone that all she knows has perfectly pedicured feet!

I seem to hear some version of this phrase a lot when I am asked if I am married or I have kids.  "Oh, it's not too late" or "well, I bet you have a great career" or "I have a feeling he is around the corner" and my favorite "this is your year to find someone!".  Now these are actually encouraging words to hear when you are down and out and needing a little good relationship mojo, but when you get these phrases from your waxer, your nail salon chair neighbor or  worst, your mother's friends, then it just falls short of hope.  Who decided it was the right of the betrothed to bring the relationship void elephant into the room and drop it on its proverbial head?  I do like to have some pick me ups and my nearest and dearest know just the right things to say at the right time, but the strangers, the ones my relationship only goes as far as the randomness of running into them, it is those people who amaze me at their brazen judgments.

I don't mind being single, because I love living my life so much.  I know I'm not the only one who gets this type of reaction, just last night I saw my single life on the big screen in Eat, Pray, Love (my single life, as in the comments about needing to give reasons about why I am still single - not the writer traveling all over the world life...I'm not that delusional!).  However, I do have some advise for those of you who are single and at all questioning your calling or even those of you in relationships. I suggest not seeing Eat, Pray, Love because inevitably you will do as I have done and spent the better part of your night researching ways to start over and still live comfortably. Seriously, I want to give up all that is stable and good and normal because I'm ready to take the plunge!  Unfortunately, I have to have a realistic savings plan first, not all of us get a book deal to travel the world!  Son of a bitch!  So, my plan now is to get yoga certified and travel the world teaching, finding my spiritual zen leader on my journey and then find myself making out with Jarvier Bardem on a beach.  Yes, Jarvier will be there and it will be A-MAZING! I am now saying to myself "It's not too late" to take this journey into self discovery (well, once I have the funds to support it)!

So to you, chatty woman with the large brood, thank you for reassuring me it is not too late to continue enjoying my life just as it is and hell, even making plans to take a chance on a journey as well - eventually!  And to you my friends who are contemplating your next step in life, I say just keeping going forward and don't be nervous about what may or may not come to you, because the fun part is in the journey itself! Namaste!