Still Single for the Holidays? Lucky You!

Oh, no! Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year's Eve are coming, and you're still not dating anybody.

The specter of enduring gatherings with relatives who harass you because you've failed to hook up trounces your hopes for peace and goodwill. You'll be explaining your sorry self from the first sip of eggnog to your last bite of mincemeat pie.

Afterwards, you'll tuck into bed feeling like a colossal loser, remembering how Cousin Patty flashed her newly installed engagement ring (roughly the size of an aircraft carrier) all through dinner. And then, as you console yourself that this was just one night out of your life, that surely you can rise above the pitying looks and comments, it dawns on you that you'll be subjected to them again on New Year's Eve!

You find yourself with two choices: (A) Attend a party teeming with self-satisfied couples, hoping to God that some gorgeous single specimen of the opposite sex will infiltrate and rescue you from your glass of warm champagne. (B) Accept Mom and Dad's offer to watch the ball drop on their new big-screen TV and endure entreaties to 'hurry up and get married already' between appearances by B-list celebrities.

So, what will you do?

The temptation to call it quits this year, stay home, and slump through re-runs of Sex and the City with a bottle of wine is staggering. Don't do it. This holiday season can be your best yet if you approach it with the right mindset. Here are five tips to help facilitate a new perspective:

Know the truth: Those self-satisfied married people aren't so satisfied. Hey, most of them are downright miserable. Don't believe me? Look around. Go into any family restaurant on a Friday evening, and check out all the couples that don't make eye contact. Observe the husbands and wives who speak to the children but not to each other. Go to the mall on a Sunday afternoon and watch the Christmas shoppers. A far cry from what you see in the diamond ads, eh? Be happy that you are not stuck in a dull marriage! Decide that if and when you marry, you'll do it for the right reasons, not because you hit a certain age, your parents were nagging you, you want children, or you want to make your friends feel bad because you bought or received a bigger diamond than they did.

Come up with a snappy answer. When some moron eyes you over the Christmas turkey and asks, "Aren't you ever going to get married?" Just respond, "Why do you ask?" If the inquisitor persists, smile enigmatically and say, "I'm too young to get married." Say this even if you're fifty. If your mother starts piling on the guilt about giving her grandchildren, tell her you hate kids. Suggest that she sponsor an unfortunate child for twenty dollars a month through a worthy charitable organization. Never allow yourself to be drawn into conversations about what it is you do to repel the opposite sex.

Walk into every party like a winner. Sit down at every dinner table as if you're the guest of honor. Be quietly confident. Smile. Walk tall. Sit up straight. Feel good about yourself. Adorn yourself in clothes that flatter you (women, the poncho may be the rage, but if it makes you look like a sack of onions, put it down; men, avoid wearing baseball caps at all costs). Do not walk into a party hoping that someone will notice you. Walk into a party expecting to be noticed.

Be proactive. Instead of waiting around for invitations, host a party of your very own. Give the event a sheen by preparing a trendy drink. Make an investment and pour it into appropriate glasses. For an elegant effect, start the night by playing Mozart or jazz renditions of holiday classics. Keep the party lively later on by spinning Moby or the latest U2. Be the star you are and dress up. (If you want something more casual, Super Bowl parties are a blast, even for those of us who don't understand football.) Invite singles and couples from work, church, wherever. The more the merrier, so tell guests to bring a friend. Be sure to ask a married couple or two to prevent the vibe of a singles' mixer, but avoid inviting couples that stand around talking about their children all night.

Understand that being single is a good thing. Look, you're not tied down to anybody. Your life is full of possibilities. Every day is an adventure. You can travel as you like, buy clothes as you like, date as you like. Married people can't. Decide not to give up your freedom until someone truly worthy comes along. This is powerful. When you sit around waiting for the right person to show up, nobody will. But once you decide to enjoy your life, often somebody wonderful and worthy will appear-and sooner than you expect.

About The Author

(c) Terry Hernon MacDonald

Terry Hernon MacDonald is the host of "Romance Talk with Terry," which can be accessed any time at http://www.healthylife.net Visit her website at http://www.marrysmart.com

terry@marrysmart.com

---

Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:51:51 GMT Hunt begins for Karadzic helpers - BBC News BBC News Hunt begins for Karadzic helpers BBC News - 1 hour ago Officials investigating captured Bosnian Serb ex-leader Radovan Karadzic say they will track down and punish those who aided his false identity. Video: Karadzic plans to defend himself in The Hague RussiaToday Kenya: Karadzic's Fate a Lesson AllAfrica.com AFP - Telegraph.co.uk - International Herald Tribune - Hartford Courant all 5,884 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:47:45 GMT Aurilia, Vizquel help Giants rally for win - San Jose Mercury News Washington Post Aurilia, Vizquel help Giants rally for win San Jose Mercury News - 4 hours ago By Andrew Baggarly It would be difficult to claim that the Giants improved their playoff hopes when they rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. Aurilia gets key hit, makes pitch for old guys San Francisco Chronicle Giants rally in eighth to edge Nats Sports Network Washington Post - The Associated Press - Washington Times - BlueRidgeNow.com all 455 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:43:04 GMT Obama to demand more from Europe in Berlin speech - Reuters BBC News Obama to demand more from Europe in Berlin speech Reuters - 26 minutes ago By Caren Bohan and Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - US presidential candidate Barack Obama is expected to call on Europe to do more in hotspots like Afghanistan when he speaks in Berlin on Thursday in his only formal address of a week-long foreign tour. Berliners welcome Obama as they did JFK Christian Science Monitor Obama Starts European Trip With Stop in Germany Wall Street Journal Voice of America - The Associated Press - AFP - Washington Times all 686 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:25:11 GMT Finding Bale's dark side - Chicago Sun-Times Times Online Finding Bale's dark side Chicago Sun-Times - 3 hours ago BY BILL ZWECKER Sun-Times Columnist 'The Dark Knight'' star Christian Bale's alleged ''assault'' in London against his mother and sister is part of a long-simmering family feud. Batman star stays silent in Spain BBC News Christian Bale's lady sidekick: Sibi Bale Los Angeles Times E! Online - hecklerspray - Times of the Internet - New York Daily News all 2,556 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:08:50 GMT Day After, WNBA Untangles Brawl - New York Times ChattahBox Day After, WNBA Untangles Brawl New York Times - 7 hours ago By MIKE OGLE Some of the WNBA’s biggest stars commanded national attention Tuesday night and into Wednesday - but not in a way their teams or the league wanted. Don't count on fights becoming WNBA trend USA Today WNBA may have a fighting chance Los Angeles Times ESPN - Detroit Free Press - Hartford Courant - Denver Post all 876 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:06:48 GMT US cancer boss in mobiles warning - BBC News CTV.ca US cancer boss in mobiles warning BBC News - 2 hours ago The director of a leading US cancer research institute has sent a memo to thousands of staff warning of possible higher risks from mobile phone use. Cell phones: The next cigarettes? The Week Daily Group sees possible link to brain cancer Baltimore Sun ABC News - Los Angeles Times - dBTechno all 549 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:35:11 GMT Sudan's president boogies on last Darfur pit stop - AFP BBC News Sudan's president boogies on last Darfur pit stop AFP - 36 minutes ago EL GENEINA, Sudan (AFP) - A dancing Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir paraded as a man of peace on Thursday during a heavily protected tour of Darfur defying accusations that he masterminded genocide in the region. Sudan counters charges with diplomacy Los Angeles Times Al-Bashir in Sudan peace pledge The Press Association Bloomberg - Monsters and Critics.com - New York Times - Workers World all 1,767 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:15:43 GMT asdfasfd Display RSS Feeds on Your Website

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

How To Find a Great Dating Partner and Have Fun Looking

Internet dating can be great fun for you. It is... Read More

5 Quick Ways to Find Your Next Date

Overwhelmed with family, school, work and volunteer obligations, woman are... Read More

Why Settle?

When dating we all too often settle for someone that... Read More

Great Dating Advice: 7 Universal Laws for Singles

The Law of the Right PersonWhile most of us put... Read More

Making The Connection: Tips For Getting Noticed

Chances are that you have had a wide variety of... Read More

The Most Important Question to Ask on a First Date

First dates can be pretty daunting experiences, but they can... Read More

The Key to Reaching the Next Level in Dating Success

Back in the days when I was a teenager, I... Read More

Online Dating Tips ? Creating Personal Ads

Creating a personal ad for online dating services is not... Read More

What To Put On A Dating Site Profile And What To Leave Out

Your dating site profile is the most important tool you... Read More

Online Dating Safety - Tackling Internet Crime

Online dating is a great way to contact and meet... Read More

Is Somebody Interested In You?

How can you tell if a somebody is interested in... Read More

No More Desperation Dating

When you think about what you find attractive in a... Read More

Online Dating: 4 Dating Mistakes You Must Avoid

Did you catch the dating mistakes made during episode one... Read More

Overcoming Your Nervousness About Talking to Women

Standing at the magazine rack thumbing through Cosmo, she has... Read More

Online Dating - Six Ways to Protect Your Privacy in Cyberspace

Online dating is becoming more and more mainstream, as people... Read More

COMING SOON??Online Attractions

In my attempts to find the love of my life,... Read More

She Rejected You: Some Reasons Why It Happened & What You Can Do?

There is just something that makes women NOT get attracted... Read More

Dos and Donts for Men on Dating Sites

Men, learn how to behave on dating and personals sites.Being... Read More

Use This Rule To Survive A Loss

The intent of this article was to ease any trauma... Read More

Asian Dating - Respect and Honour

Honour and respect are two of the most important elements... Read More

Online Dating: How I Met My Mate

Do you think online dating is only for the young... Read More

Compatibility

Harsh words, hurting comments, tears and flying household objects -... Read More

Relationship Red Flags You Shouldnt Avoid

All relationships are clearly not meant to be. Only a... Read More

Stimulation

You get her number, set up the date, take her... Read More

Who Says Online Datings Only For Losers?

I let that friend talk me into browsing some pictures... Read More