Red Sox as Example for Boston Singles

Boston singles have a couple of advantages in their favor. One: Boston is home to one of the best online dating scenes in the country. Two: Boston is home to one of the best baseball teams in the country ? the Red Sox. But it's not the proximity to Fenway Park that provides the benefit for Boston singles, but the example we can use to make our dating experiences memorable, fun, and ultimately successful.

The Boston Red Sox are one of two teams in the MLB that have been famously ?cursed?. (Although, unlike the Cubs, the Red Sox eventually managed to cure their curse... but more on that later.) The Red Sox went through one of the longest World Series dry spells in MLB history. For 86 years the Sox suffered under the ?Curse of the Bambino.? The basis of this curse stems from the sell of Babe Ruth to the Yankees. From that day forward the Yankees have been one of the most consistently successful teams in baseball, winning twice as many World Series than any other team. The Red Sox, on the other hand, only had a lot of disappointment. But at least they had the Curse of the Bambino to blame it on.

How often do we do this as Boston singles? We all go through dating slumps, times when we just can't seem to do anything right. Do we blame it on ourselves, or do we find a mystical cause for all our woes?

Maybe we loose our own Bambino. Maybe we had someone who was special, and for one reason or another we let them go. Maybe it just ?seemed the the right thing to do at the time.? And then, most annoying of all, once they're gone they seem to have far more success with their new relationship than the did with you. Is there a legitimate reason for their success, or will we always believe that if we wouldn't have let them go, we would be the winning team right now?

Sometimes, just when it seemed like the Red Sox were about to pull themselves out of their rut, or just when it seems like Boston singles might be able to put their problems behind them, something happens that pulls us right back down. For the Red Sox, the '86 World Series was that moment. In the infamous sixth game, the Sox looked like they were ready to put it all behind them, but it wasn't to be. For questionable reasons, Roger Clemens was removed from the game, despite his amazing performance up until then. And then, in the last inning, Bill Buckner let an easy ground ball go through his legs, and they lost the game, and eventually the series.

What about us? Do we start looking causing our own problems? Do we pull ourselves out of the game for dubious reasons? Many Boston singles have done this. Everything seems to be going well, and then we start looking for reasons ? any reasons ? to end it before we wind up in ? gasp ? a serious relationship. There is no sabotage like personal sabotage.

So how do we rid ourselves of such a curse? The Red Sox tried everything from planting a Red Sox hat at the summit of Mt. Everest to burning a Yankees hat at its base. They even brought in an exorcist to cleanse the stadium... and yet, none of it worked.

As Boston singles we can often try to find the mystical or ?quick fix? solution to our problems. Some of them work better than others, speed or online dating for example, but the worst trap we can get caught in is the ?someone right for me will come along? fallacy. This is the idea that without putting forth actual effort, someone fantastic will just appear in our lives. It never works.

There are a lot of lessons Boston singles can learn from the Red Sox, but the most important one is probably the most simple. The Red Sox suffered 86 years of a dry spell, but never quit trying. Year after year they kept working, the fans kept cheering, and with serious dedication and a great lineup, they finally overcame the curse. It had nothing to do with their mystical, intangible solutions, but everything to do with building a team that was composed of all the characteristics they need to win a World Series.

In 2004 it finally happened. The Red Sox won the World Series. Not only did they win, but they came back from a three game deficit to beat the Yankees. No team in baseball history had ever come back from three games down, and yet the Red Sox managed to pull it off despite the ?curse.?

So, like the Red Sox, we can fight against our own perceived ?curses? to overcome our slumps or dry spells until we find exactly what we are looking for. And who knows... maybe a miracle will happen for us, too.

Andy Eliason is a writer at Main10. You can learn more about Boston singles and the Boston online dating scene at HeavenlyMatched.com.