True Reflection
One of the first strategies of being happy and single is to stand firm in your truth that it’s possible. This is no easy feat. We’ve been inundated with searing images and language from the bible onward – even the Supreme Court has weighed in – and their message is clear, that marriage is the fundamental building block of adult life. I soundly reject that. It has taken me years of enormous soul searching to resist that reflection. But it’s worth it. I promise.
Illustration by Geoff McFetridge
The Ecstasy of Pasta
I’ve had the pleasure of eating in Delfina, a premier restaurant in San Francisco. One of their most beloved and requested dishes is Spaghetti Pomodoro. I’ve made this recipe at home a few times, and it is perfection. Follow the instructions as given, and you’ll be in pasta heaven.
Photo by Vanessa KcKeown
When Do You Ask For Help?
A few years ago, after a brutal winter trip to Denver, I was flattened by a horrible cold. My nasal passages were swollen shut, and the waves of coughing were so violent, they sent my body into tremors. I could barely get off the couch. What I needed was chicken soup, but I didn’t have the energy to walk the two blocks to the deli. When a friend phoned to see how I was doing, he asked if I needed anything. Ordinarily, I would’ve answered no. I’m stubborn that way. But this time, I was not ok. I really needed help. Within an hour, he delivered a container of piping, hot soup to my front door, and it let the healing begin.
Illustration by Ella Frances Sanders
Autumn Envy
Los Angeles has been breaking all kinds of heat records, with temperatures hovering near 100 every day. And in a place where year-round, it’s almost always comfortable to be outside, grumpy residents are huddled indoors, staying close to the AC. We’re sick of it. On my Facebook page, I’ve been seeing lots of photos of fall foliage. I’m visualizing 80 degrees, which right now, would seem like sweater weather.
Photo at things organized neatly
End of Week Zen
In Search of an Aha Moment
When I’m looking to find my way out of an intractable problem, I take the dog for a walk. The fresh air and change of scenery does us both a world of good. Running into neighbors and having to make small talk forces me out of my head. And every so often when the stars are aligned, I return home with the answer. Where do you problem solve?
Walking Card by Eleni Kalorkoti
What Are You Reading? Fall Edition
Throughout all the ebbs and flows of my social life, from voracious dater, to live-in boyfriend, to craving alone time at home with my dog, I’ve been an avid reader. Not much gets in the way of me and a book. Right now, it’s All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. How about you?
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FIRST PERSON SINGULAR is a guide to surviving, thriving and sometimes just getting through a single day. Created by Wendy Braitman (more…)
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