Urban Tribes | Ethan's Top Five

Ethan's Top Five Things to Tell Your Parents When You Are Still Single at Age 30 (or 35, or 40):

1. "Mom/Dad, among people my age, my life is not abnormal. (At least, not for that reason.) My generation has delayed marriage longer than any generation in American history. The cities are filled with people my age who are still single. The vast majority of us will marry; we'll just do it later."

2. "Not being married does not mean that I'm a 'slacker.' A slacker is usually defined as 'someone who shirks work or responsibility.' Remember how hard I work at my job/school/local SPCA office? My life is full of activity and meaning. There is no reason for pity or scorn."

3. "Despite your stunningly deep bench of candidates, I honestly don't need your help. I'm sure the son/daughter of Aunt Molly's dentist is polite and well-groomed with a high-paying job, but leave the matchmaking to me. Believe me when I say that I have plenty of people giving me advice about my love life."

4. "My marriage delay doesn't mean you won't ever be grandparents. While much has been made of the drop in fertility rates among women over 30, the numbers aren't all that bad. Two out of three women ages 35 to 40 can get pregnant within a year. Those who try for two years raise their odds to 91 percent. "

5. "Don't take this the wrong way, Mom and Dad, but what about all the divorces in your generation? People my age are not indifferent to marriage--and we're certainly not indifferent about love--but we have learned to be deeply cautious, in part because of divorce in our own families or those that happened next door. Statistics have shown that marriages started after age 25 work out better in the long run. In fact, because of our marriage delay, the divorce rate is now going down."

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More on the above topic can be found in chapter 1: "Confessions of a 'Never-Married.'"

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The complete list of Ethan's Top Five!

Ethan's Top Five Things to Tell Your Parents When You Are Still Single at Age 30 (or 35, or 40)

Ethan's Top Five Reasons To Be Happy about the Prospect of Being an Older Parent

Ethan's Top Five Reasons Why Cupid Still Has a Pulse on College Campuses

Ethan's Top Five Reasons Why a Marriage Delayed Is a Marriage Improved

Ethan's Top Five Reasons Why Being in an Urban Tribe Is Bad for Your Love Life

Ethan's Top Five Frustrations Women Express about Men They've Begun to Date

Ethan's Top Five Things Urban Tribes Should Avoid

Ethan's Top Five Guidelines to Dating within Your Urban Tribe