Is Luck Blind or Is It Personal?
I don’t feel lucky, which probably means I need an attitude adjustment. There are so many hideous things that have never happened to me, and so many wonderful things that have. But once last month, and just yesterday, I got real lucky. The first was not being called into court for jury duty (while several friends were impaneled). The other was thanks to my neighbor who convinced a parking cop not to give me a $50 ticket. It was like winning the lottery, twice. I must’ve amassed some good civic karma, as they were both municipal events. Not so, in matters of the heart. And the question I can’t put to bed – is it something I did?
CONTEST winner will be announced on Friday!
Image via Partners & Spade
Do You Care If Your Date Has Good Taste?
No, this is not about whether it’s important that your date tastes good. We can all agree on that. I want to know if it’s essential that the person you’re dating (living with/married to) shares your preference in movies, books, art, fashion, sofas, politics, food? Today, I stumbled on a new dating site, Tastebuds, that hooks people up with other singles who like the same kinds of music. I understand the impulse. But is this enough of an indicator that we’ll get along?
Image: Nick Dewar
The Joy of Produce
I was cozy at home with the Times this morning, but I booted myself out at 9 AM to drive to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, because I’d committed to it here last week, and it’s good to keep your promises. I talked to a few strangers (also, as promised), but they were vendors, and I’m hoping that counts. I also made small talk with two separate neighbors who live right up the street (and I know that doesn’t count). The fruits and vegetables were beautiful, and worth the trip.
Deadline for contest submissions is Monday.
Are You Spending Too Much Time on Facebook?
Last week, a friend called me a Facebook whore. Right to my face. I was startled, embarrassed, then intimated, and didn’t post for a few days, until I realized, how could she know how often I was on FB, unless she was on there, too. My credo about social media is similar to how I feel about most technology. You’re in control (except for FB’s awful privacy policy). Technology doesn’t make us less communicative or more so, cause us to procrastinate, or rot our brains. It’s just a tool.
Vintage-style ad created by Moma, an ad agency from Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Who Wants to Be On the A-List?
Elizabeth Taylor and David Bowie, 1975, by Terry O'Neill
Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
Have you ever dated vicariously? Yesterday, I spoke to a woman who has fallen in like and I wanted to know everything. In particular, what’s different this time? For starters, she decided to forget Match.com, and instead, go out to new social settings, without the comfort of close friends. Within the first week, she’d met a great guy. It’s good to be reminded of what works for people, and now, I’m game. On Sunday morning, rather than Whole Foods, I’m heading to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market to buy produce and talk to a stranger. In case you’re so inclined, here’s a list of the top Farmer’s Markets in the country.
CONTEST deadline, August 9th. Don’t miss out!
Image: Spring vegetables at the outdoor market, Campo dei Fiori, in Rome.
What’s Your Go-to Shoe?
Birkenstock was nowhere in my lexicon, and certainly not in my closet until three years ago. I can’t pinpoint the moment when my aversion turned to adoration, but I know that I’m happier because of them. Perhaps as with a mate, it’s a question of finding the right match. In my case it was the Gizeh sandal, which defied the hippie image I’d associated with Birkenstocks, and when paired with cropped jeans and a pedicure, it’s a surprisingly cute look. The walkability is addictive, and since I’m in them almost everyday, the CPU (cost per use) is next to nothing. This love’s for real.
Image: Untitled Detail (Vans) 2007, by Amanda Ross-Ho
Sister Envy
I grew up with a much taller brother, and since it was before the advent of the boyfriend jean, we couldn’t swap clothes. On the bright side, no hand me downs, either. But I used to wonder, if I’d had a sister, would we borrow each other’s shoes? This 1984 sculpture, by the Swiss artistic team of Peter Fischli and David Weiss, and currently at MOMA, is called The Three Sisters. I’ve been looking at it for hours, trying to figure out the name. Here’s a little six degrees of unmarried separation…. Chekhov wrote a play, Three Sisters, related to the Brontës, two of whom never married. Could there be a connection? What are your thoughts?
Don’t be shy. Enter our CONTEST!
Would You Date a Vegan?
Let me start by apologizing to vegans out there. I don’t mean to disparage your eating habits (even though, honestly, I don’t get it). I could’ve as easily titled this, Would you Date a Sausage Eater? but then you might think I was talking about sex. My real question here, and I ask this in earnest –
Is it important that our romantic partners like to chow down on the same things we do? Earlier this week, a man emailed from Match.com, and after chatting for a few minutes on the phone, I learned that he doesn’t drink alcohol (sticking mostly to herbal teas) and refrains from sugar and white flour, among other things. “My body is a temple,” he said. When I heard this, my heart sank, and I pictured a life drinking alone, sneaking off to munch on my home-baked brownies. How much do our food choices define us? Are we what we eat?
Don’t forget our new CONTEST. Deadline, August 9th.
Photo: Carsten ten Brink
About this Site
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR is a guide to surviving, thriving and sometimes just getting through a single day. Created by Wendy Braitman (more…)
Follow First Person Singular
Greatest Hits
