By Chelsey Drysdale
“From a simple supply and demand point of view, women do have something to worry about,” Stanford economist Paul Oyer said earlier this year during an interview with the Dear Sugar Radio podcast. Based on his research, scarcity in the straight world is real; there’s an imbalance when it comes to women seeking men vs. men seeking women.
Oyer’s data supporting the notion “all the good ones are taken” confirmed what I’d been thinking for years. I found it oddly reassuring, as if a doctor had finally diagnosed unique symptoms of which there appeared to be no real origin.
“…and it gets much worse as [women] age,” Oyer said. “The numbers change dramatically starting really at age 30, but once you hit 40, it’s just pretty dramatic.”
I nodded as I drove near my tiny studio apartment in Long Beach, where I worked and lived alone.
Finally, I thought. Proof of what I already know. I’ve often thought, I’ve aged out of the market.
Maybe this information serves to reinforce my fear of “getting back out there,” providing me with an excuse to hide in an impenetrable bubble. The pain of loss is excruciating; the pain of loss multiple times is unbearable. But loneliness is debilitating too, and I don’t want to be alone forever. It’s not in my nature. Continue Reading…