Glass Slipper Redux
This image is of a sculpture, “Prince Charming is an Asshole,” by Ann Magnuson. It’s part of the exhibition, “30 x 30,” opening April 11, at the Art Queen Gallery in Joshua Tree, California.
How to Get Out More
I recently found my way to Marybeth Bond, an intrepid traveler, who has written countless books on the subject. I consider myself a travel wimp, and by that I mean, I’m mostly a fan of upgraded flights and lovely hotels with all the amenities. For years, I’ve considered camping the “C” word. Marybeth has been everywhere, the hard and the easy way, and I’ve got a lot to learn from her experience. Continue reading »
Go Go Boots
What does it mean to have a life of good fortune? Do you need wealth, a beautiful face, a big piece of property with views of the mountains and the ocean? Does the definition of good fortune shift depending on seasons, years, generations, geographic locations, ethnicities? Or is it mostly about accumulating more than the person down the street? Continue reading »
Husband Benefits Pie Chart
FINDING THE PERKS ELSEWHERE
I waited (and waited) for that husband who never arrived. Finally I got tired of doing without the benefits I’d been told only husbands could bring and made a list of what I was missing. My married girlfriends say I’ve imagined a dream spouse who exists only in old movies. I say it’s a good place to start. Once I identified what I wanted–sublime to ridiculous–I began to figure out where else these needs could be met.
COMPANIONSHIP
The day-to-day
Family and work events
Weddings
Vacations
Holidays
Birthdays
Meal time
Movies and Entertainment
PHYSICAL INTIMACY
Sex
Affection
Foot massage (do husbands actually do that?)
FITTING IN
With peers and colleagues
With family
In society
CHILDREN
Carrying on the genes
Bragging rights
Grandchildren
Extended family
Old age care
HEAVY LIFTING
Moving furniture
Opening jars with tight lids
Breaking up cardboard boxes for recycling
Lifting luggage into the plane’s overhead bin
JEWELRY
Surprise gifts
Fastening clasps I can’t reach
FINANCES
Home ownership
Sharing costs
Retirement
YOUR PIE CHART (Percentages may vary)
What would the perfect husband bring to your life?
1) Make a list. Be thorough.
2) Put the list into categories
3) Assign percentages
4) Slice the pie
5) Where else can you get what you’re looking for?
Happy Birthday Gloria Steinem
Ms. Gloria Steinem, who founded Ms. Magazine in 1972, was one of the most visible faces of feminism in the 20th century. She turns 75 today, March 25. My favorite of her many quotable remarks: “Some of us are becoming the men we want to marry.”
Fannie Farmer: Mother of Level Measurements
Fannie Farmer was born on March 23, 1857. See why she’s my first inductee in the Single Women’s Hall of Fame.
A Saturday Night, In
“To be wedded to an idea may be, after all, the holiest and happiest of marriages.”
Elizabeth Cady Stanton reflecting on why Susan B. Anthony never married.
Saturday night alone. I don’t mind it. I prefer not dealing with traffic and parking. I’m content cooking for myself. I walk outside to the garden, pick some basil and make spaghetti with pesto. It doesn’t take long and I prepare enough so I’ll have leftovers for another meal. This Saturday night, I’m in my sweats and flip-flops. No make-up. No one to size me up or down. When did it happen that women could relax about their marital status? Who paved the way? Continue reading »
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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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