Unmarried Week

The entertainment world might be singing "Single Ladies," but acceptance of singledom still has a long way to go.

At least that's the belief behind Unmarried Week, which starts Sunday.

The event, organized by Unmarried America, promotes equality for singles -- a group that constitutes 43 percent of the American population, this article reports.

About a year ago, I did an article about what it's like to be single in Columbus.

Most of the partiers I interviewed said living in the South makes singledom especially difficult, since there's a tendency here to get married fairly early on.

Not only are you surrounded by married 20-something friends, you also sometimes have parents telling you stories about how they met at 15.

That feeds a belief that when you're single, declaring your relationship status has to come with a qualifier.

"Single and looking."

"Single and discouraged."

"Single and ready to mingle."

It makes you lose sight of the value gained by spending time alone.

So if Unmarried Week has a broader lesson, it's that all of us -- regardless of our relationship statuses -- need to stay cognizant of our single selves.

That person who can open a salsa jar, ignite a dance floor party and navigate a tricky set of directions without having to phone a friend.