Losers

There is a woman at my job that never got married or had kids. She is in her 50's and has a condition that requires her to walk with a cane. It seems she might live out the rest of her days alone, though I don't know anything about her social life. But she has a job, a house, and is involved in her field.

My ex had an uncle that lived with his mother and died in his 40's. Until I began dating him, my ex assumed that was his fate too. Now that I've dumped him, I wouldn't be surprised if that was his fate. For a while in there, though, he had a future. I mean, he still does, depending on the attitude he decides to have. But, the reason I dumped him was because he didn't seem to want to have that attitude.

To me, marriage is important, for both men and women. It is a partnership, a relationship, someone to be there for you. But anyone could tell you that my co-worker's life is infinitely better than my ex's uncle's life. Well, he is dead now, so he really doesn't have a life.

It seems that the basement dwelling, living at home loser is more likely to be a man than not. Sure, women do marry men that provide for them, and can be as lazy as any loser, maybe that explains the difference. But what about all the women that never marry? Like three of my aunts and my co-worker. They're all home-owning career women. One owns a lot of houses - 3 or 4. They're not losers.

Maybe it has to do with that whole chest-beating, shoulder-hunching mentality we all learn. Chest Beaters don't face animosity, or people telling them they're not good enough because of something they can't change. Shoulder Hunchers do, and for a lot of us, it gives us a desire to prove them wrong. But it also gives us a critical eye. Maybe "they" are right, we think. Maybe I am not good enough for an A. Maybe I should study harder. Maybe I should prove this jackass wrong and force him to give me an A even though I'm an unattractive girl and not one of his precious football players or wrestlers. That was my decision in the 9th grade with my joke of an Earth Sciences teacher. He was a creationist and a sexist. If I had it to do all over again, I would have gone right to the school board. I don't care if he was up for retirement. In my world, people don't get away with being an asshole when I walk in the room.

Does anyone know if there are statistics that compare the age and gender of people living with their parents? I have a feeling that more old unmarried men still live at home than old unmarried women. In other words, there are more male losers than female losers.