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Blossoming in Your Own Way: Late-Bloomers, Never-Bloomers, and Personal Freedom
An exploration on why I refuse to accept a label that doesn’t paint a clear picture.
Recently, my therapist asked me if I was familiar with the term “late-bloomer?” This particular term is having a bit of a moment on social media, as people share stories about how they identify as a “late-bloomer” regarding romance. These are people who start dating later in life than is socially expected in today’s world.
However, I want to challenge the use of this term, because “late-bloomer” lends itself to the assumption that we will all one day “bloom” to some degree. Some of us may bloom early (i.e.-high-school sweethearts) , some on time and the rest will fall into the category of late. What about the people that never find their person? Never get into a relationship? Never find love? What about the never-bloomers?
The feeling of being a never-bloomer, whether real or perceived, is an experience just a valid as a being a “late-bloomer,” but there doesn’t appear to be very many people talking about it. Maybe the idea of never having a romantic partner seems too grim or dramatic? I’ve been on a quest for awhile to find these stories online and always end up running into stories about “late-bloomers,” which I’m sorry…
