the following are from one of my favorite books of all time, kiss my tiara: how to rule the world as a smartmouth goddess, by susan jane gilman.

fairy tale number 3: all single women are miserable.

an article appeared in the washington post once around valentine's day with the headline, "one is the loveliest number: two single washington women, singularly happy." apparently, the fact that women can actually be happy by ourselves is news! i mean, stop the presses! had the reporter really done his homework, however, i suspect that he could've found more than two women. why, there may even be five or six.

my friend karen, who's solo by choice, says, "every time i'm in a relationship, i feel like i'm a car with the air conditioning on all the time. sure, i can go, but my engine just can't run as well." studies show that there are more single women in america than ever before - and that more of us are single by choice - and that we're thriving. so if we're flying solo, we have plenty of company. not having a mate doesn't mean we have "nothing." it may mean we have standards, though. and, oh yeah, a life.