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101-year-old’s unusual advice to her younger self will make you think twice about marriage
People who live to over 100 have an entire century of life advice that they can pass on to others to stop them from making the same mistakes.
One 101-year-old woman was asked for a piece of advice she would give to her younger self, and it might make you think twice about marriage.
101-year-old’s advice to her younger self
Betty Reid Soskin is an American retired National Park Service ranger who spoke to Brief But Spectacular, a US interview series broadcast nationally as part of PBS NewsHour.
“The advice I would give to myself as I was a young woman would be to never marry,” she said. “I could have done all the things that I have done without a man.”
She explained that her two husbands and father all died within the space of three months and at that point, she was “no longer defined by someone else’s name”. In the 90s, she began to take on feminism as a huge role in her life, and that’s when she really began to “feel like Betty”.
Soskin believes that her life would have been better if she had never got married and suggested that men didn’t provide any benefits.
Many are agreeing in the comments, with one person writing: “I knocked out marriage in my 20’s. Now that Im 40, Im living for me. Single for life.”
Another added: “This is so inspiring to me – I have had failed relationships, called off two weddings, been successful, moved around the country and now Im my 40s.”
Born in September 1921, Betty is known for being a ranger at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. Until her retirement in March 2022 aged 100, she was the oldest National Park Ranger serving the US, although she lived a long life before that.
During�World War II, Soskin worked as a file clerk for the Boilermarkers Union A-36, where she filed change of address cards for the workers. Her first husband was Mel Reid, who founded�Reid’s Records, and her second husband was William Soskin, a Psychology professor at University of California, Berkeley.
More women are enjoying being single
We live in a world where meeting someone, getting married and having children is the social norm, but is it really a necessity for happiness? Well, some data suggests that singlehood is actually viewed as desirable by many women.
A study by Mintel found that 61% of women are happy to be single, compared to only 49% of men. Plus, 75% of women said they have not actively tried to look for a partner in the past 12 months. Many are prioritizing their education and careers over being in relationships and having children.
One woman who has “retired from dating” at 43 told Reader’s Digest that she’s never been happier being single.
“What Ive come to realize is that I dont need a romantic relationship to avoid loneliness or to feel fulfilled. I am very content. For the first time in my life, I treat myself the way Ive always treated others,” she said.
Ultimately, it all comes down to each individual. Some people may be happier in marriage, others might find life more fulfilling on their own – and there is no right or wrong way to do it.
