QI and Cheese please?

Talking to a friend on the bus this morning who was discussing her and her partners plan to get married. I reacted in the manner of strumpet turned commitophoebe.
Marriage?
MARRIAGE?
I asked her about trying on a few men before she bought, you know- not to be a drag on the festivities but we're eighteen and its not like a woman has to be packed and shipped by the age of fourteen to avoid spoiling anymore.
After a lengthy lecture on the pros's of trying on more than one pair of shoes before you buy and not limiting one's self to one person for eternity amen she turned to me and presented her argument.
When it's right you just know.
She's right of course when you find the one, no amount of retail therapy can deter from the fact that you have just bought the most comfortable, stylish and financially suitable pair of shoes you will ever find.
Which brings me rather reluctantly to my next point.
Why am I alone?
Of course firstly we have the feminist and independent points; I don't know what point marriage serves, I don't need a man to make the door open or to pull my chair out. I'm not ready for a relationship.
I'm kind of a independent woman, a man would just limit me, confine me, stress me out. I like to be alone, nay a loner.
No just alone.
These reasons however plentiful don not offer an answer to the question in hand; why am I alone? If marriage is so out dates then why do people do it, a man is not a handbag, pair of shoes or any accessory parody that anyone could think of.
And sometimes I think, I could lose weight (a lot of) dye my hair, buy new clothes attend the swankiest bars and practice sticky eyes (flirtatious look( until the cows come home.
But I suppose I don't do all of these things because at the moment, I'm not ready for someone else to confirm my dreaded hypothesis.
Yes I am OK.
Life is on the up.
I won't be alone forever.
I once read in a book some one's opinion that a relationship is not the inprint of your life eternally on another person, when you are both dead and buried no one will honour your memory.
A relationship is the joining of a life parallel to yours, someone to say I see your life, I take you as a whole, somebody to witness your life. Someone to witness you little habits, pen finger, snoring, favourite films, addiction to cheese toasties.
A relationship is someone being able to say I see your existence and I want to be part of it. I see you and love you.
I see you and your OK.