Ready to mingle --------------- But still single?

I bumped into an old colleague last night. She had quit work to pursue a hobby, which (from the looks of it) had done her good! Financially independent, loving what she did, she made a novel cover picture of great achievers. I was thrilled for her. And then we came to the awkward moment where we spoke about relationship statuses and quite uncomfortably she mumbled the usual response. Single. Ready to Mingle.
(& then predictably proceeded to bitch about how tough it is to find a nice (?!!?) guy!)

This has to be the most abused term of our generation. I know some great people - secure, intelligent sociable, the works. Then where do they go wrong? In retrospect, some are single because they've got other priorities, don't have time for a relationship, which IMO is fine. To each really his own. My grudge is towards the people who pretend to be wanting to be in a relationship but secretly conspire every trick in the book to run in the opposite direction of it. So it got me thinking, what is it about these great people that makes it difficult for them to sustain or atleast click with the right person? 

The checklist whore - Big Bucks - Check. Vital Stats - Check. If you are on the lookout for that someone special in the same fashion as you would approach grocery shopping, then you my friend have it all wrong. If your reply to 'what do you look for in a girl/guy?' has more words than your first name, it spells trouble. Its quite understandable to have basic prerequisites while choosing a partner, but maintaining that long list of must-haves should be limited to your wardrobe only unless you want your partner to feel much like an accessory themselves.
The closet commitment-phobic - What was stereotyped for men, is now increasingly becoming a woman thing. While they go all out & announce their despair over not finding the right person, secretly this bunch suffers from the fear of being bound by the throes of a relationship. Be it sexual or financial freedom, today's women have plenty of choices. Having to forego their independence, plus taking on the additional woes of responsibility and accountability, has led to more women walking away from relationships than ever before.


The compulsive feminist/mcp - Dominating, don't take no for an answer, is easily offended if treated unequally or has pride stepping in the way of greater happiness, the feminist or MCP are difficult to please. They maintain a thin line between right and wrong which is humanly impossible to decipher and with them even if the relationship works initially, strains show eventually.


You're just too much into you - Your space. Your plans. Your career. Your life. If 'I' takes predominance in your life more than anyone or anything else, its hard to find a partner who is willing to play along. 


Lastly! Most importantly! You're with the wrong set of people - Simple as that! So you've thought hard, whilst possibly abusing the whole purpose of this post which made you self-introspect but still cant find any of the above relatable? Then there's just lone reasonable explanation - you're searching among the wrong people. In all probability, the girl/guy you're infatuating after belongs to one or more of the above categories and hence isn't returning the compliment.


What next? Go out there, meet new people, make new friends, expand your social network. Afterall, if movies have taught us that someone somewhere is made for you, it must be true right? All it takes is that one extra step.....