I graduated from a local university exactly three weeks ago and am currently in "employment limbo." I'm teaching swim lessons just to put food on the table and fend off the creditors. I also taught swimming as an undergraduate and supplemented my income by working as a love/humor columnist for the school paper. That was the most enjoyable job I've had to date and I'm really going to miss it now that I'm out in the "real world" (whatever THAT means).

What is my philosophy on relationships? To state the obvious, if it makes you happy then it's a GOOD relationship. If it makes you unhappy it's a BAD relationship. I have many friends who don't seem to understand this simple point. They whine and moan and agonize, yet cling onto these dysfunctional relationships. It's my belief that 60% of relationships begin out of insecurity and desperation... not a good foundation for a partnership. It seems to me that people in this day and age are afraid of being alone. Not I! I think being alone is perfectly acceptable. My best advice is to choose your relationship with care... save your energy for the relationships that really count!

How am I different from the other panelists? It's hard to say since I've only been reading their stuff for two weeks. I'm "undeclared" when it comes to religion, so in that sense I'm different from Mare. I also am somewhat younger than the other panelists. I consider myself an open-minded person. I am both cynical and soft-hearted, an unusual combination. Current relationship status: single (thankfully). Last May I  made the colossal mistake of getting into a relationship with a man who had just broken up (sort of) with a long-term girlfriend. After a brief fling, he dropped me faster than I can say, "Rebound!"

My modus operandi is to try and find the humor in every situation, while being sensitive and compassionate to other people's feelings. My friends will tell you that I have a good shoulder to cry on but I'm not afraid to tell people what I think... especially when it comes to love.