Make Like a Starfish

This post is inspired by a funny little article I read on MSN last week which was a list of things all single girls should do before they get married. You can read it here. And I do recommend reading it.

My favorite piece of advice they gave was “Take advantage of the whole bed. You have the rest of your life to stick to "your" side when you sleep next to your man. Right now, place your pillow smack-dab in the center and make like a starfish.”

Make like a starfish. This is now what pops into my head every night when I crawl into my big empty bed and it always makes me giggle. I’ve shifted my pillows and I sleep right in the middle of my bed. I admit it is slightly annoying when I have to crawl across to hit my alarm clock in the morning, but it’s a small price to pay.

The article also suggests traveling a lot now, sans man. I think this is a great idea. I’ve done a lot of traveling and I love having that under my life belt. I wouldn’t suggest going on a world tour however, because I once dated a guy who had been practically everywhere and the thought of never going somewhere new to him was a little discouraging. Its fun to explore new places together, but it also doesn’t hurt to have a little extra world flavor in your column. Plus it makes for great conversations and stories.

I think a lot of girls my age are afraid to take risks. There is that fear that “something bad could happen.” But how else will you learn how to make mistakes and pick yourself up and dust yourself off if you never let yourself fall? I can’t imagine you’d be a very interesting person if you’ve never gone out on a limb for something, or made a decision that could drastically change your life. Those experiences, those ups and downs, the good times and the bad ones, make us who we are. As corny as it is, I’m a firm believer that whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. And more interesting.

I also think teaching yourself to cook is a great idea. I know, I’m sure all the feminists hate me for that one, but I’m a traditional girl. My mother always cooked dinner and I have no problem doing the same. If I find a man who loves to cook- great! But if not, I have no problem assuming that duty. And I love cooking- even if it’s just for me. It’s a great time to experiment and burn things and screw up.

“Want a cat? Heed this advice: Buy it now. Call it Snowflake. Let it sleep next to you in bed. If you wait to get a pet with your betrothed, it will end up being a big, slobbering Lab called Bif.” Ha- this one of course made me laugh. Although I do want a dog, I think that would be a more fun “we” project than a “me” project. Plus, I’m traveling too much right now to have a dog ;-)