"Jennifer, you need your own column."

Last night a friend of mind told me that I needed a column because I always have so much knowledge to share. This wasn’t the first time she’s told me this. I’ve also heard similar suggestions from others. I’m flattered that my rants and “woman talks” have garnered the respect of those close to me, so much so that they’d suggest I share it with the masses. If you’ve read my other posts, you may have figured out that I’m not shy about exposing my innermost feelings, even those that would cause utter embarrassment to others. I’m able to write things about myself that I’m not as comfortable verbalizing, and under my real name too.

I’ve also noticed that I’m a far better fiction writer when said fiction has an extremely close connection to my own experiences, observations, and fantasies. In my writing classes I’ve been told that this is the way it should be. After my friend told me I should start a column, I asked myself what my area of expertise would be. The topics I usually talk about with friends, though they’d counter I actually “preach,” are my hopes and dreams for the future; the people I blame for society’s ills and how I’d change things if I ruled the world; my search for knowledge of self and spiritual enlightenment; the reality of my life in DC vs. my fantasy of life in NYC and beyond; my interesting volunteer work (hint: it involves hissing cockroaches from Madagascar); the finicky-ness of my coarse, nappy strands (and when would be a good time to show my coworkers what I really look like without this pound of human braiding hair resting on top of my head); the many jobs I’ve had; celebrity gossip; and how I’ve come to realize that I’m at the bottom of the dating totem pole…at least for now.

Of all these topics, existing on the outskirts of the dating/mating world and my observations of relationships and the people in them, would probably garner the most interest. There’s so many “relationship experts” on the market who claim to know everything, maybe people wouldn’t mind reading the wisdom of a relationship reject. Those other experts spout “this worked for me, listen closely, and it’ll work for you too” jargon. It seems designed to make people feel bad if they can’t Snag a Guy in 3 Days Using These Ancient Mayan Eye Twitches. People like me make others feel better about themselves and serve as a reminder that dating, much like life, is trial and error error error trial error success trial trial … I Haven’t Gotten To a Second Date in Four Years, It’s Either a Curse or Something I Said: How Not to Be Like Me.

Now that’s a must-read.

Well, I guess I’ll go and figure out where to pitch this column. If you want to pass some time, the column title I’m thinking of using can be found in at least two of my older posts. Next on my list…copyright that title (wouldn’t want to tempt anyone, people are so uninspired these days).


Until next time, folks,

Jennifer (the so-called Writer-Editor)