Picture-Perfect
August 09, 2026
This week, Steven, John, and I stole away to Greece to spend a few days celebrating the bliss of single life.
Beneath the Mediterranean sun, we drank cocktails in peace…
The turquoise sea whispered softly. Nobody was arguing. And while children threw tantrums at neighboring tables, we raised one glass after another to the exquisite luxury of celibacy…
I find myself resembling Mary Fisher more and more — only I don’t live in a pink palace by the sea.
Yet!
And I love it!
I still date occasionally… Although perhaps “conduct field research” would be more accurate. Every so often, another boring man appears dressed in an exhausted costume of Prince Charming, and I allow him just enough time to remind me why I am single.
“I don’t know if I want this,” I said. “Perhaps if I ever meet the right person, a relationship won’t feel like such a dreadful proposition. But I’m beginning to wonder whether any of it is really worth the trouble.”
“Well, forever being single isn’t great either,” John said. “I can tell you that…”
“I just can’t remember a single time when having a man in my life made it more peaceful — or simply better in any way. It’s always the drama, the confusion, the stress — who has time for that?
…I don’t know. Maybe that kind of man exists. I just haven’t met one…
My fear is, you know, how they say love is blind. And I pray love never finds me again if the price is becoming blind, ridiculous, and irrational.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Steven said. “That’s genuinely my greatest fear. No joke!”
“And beyond the peace,” he continued, “think of all the time you keep. All the attention and effort you don’t have to pour into a relationship that probably won’t survive anyway. I’d choose time and focus over any of it…”
“Right. I don’t even know if I want children.”
“It’s a huuge responsibility,” Steven said. “And I love my freedom too much.”
“Exactly. I want to make millions while doing fashion, writing, designing houses, and traveling the world. I don’t want to wake up at six every morning, make breakfast, drive children to school, and spend the rest of my life attached to a house. I want to be free.”
“Yeah, I definitely don’t want children…” Steven said.
“But what are you going to leave behind?” John asked.
“Well, Beethoven never had kids, and he left behind quite a lot,” Steven laughed.
“Isn’t that what work is for?” I replied. “To create something and leave a legacy behind?”
“… Oh, and I wouldn’t call choosing not to have children selfish at all. What’s selfish is having children simply because that is what you’re expected to do — and then resenting them for the choice you made. What’s selfish is having nothing to give, yet bringing another human being into the world and expecting them to fill whatever is missing inside you…”
As we sat there philosophizing about life, little did we know… the powers that be had joined us in our toast — and were already preparing a rather theatrical endorsement of celibacy.
A few days later, Steven found himself inside a triangle that made singledom look glamorous.
He had a new conquest and, as two men would, they got straight to the action…
There was, however, an audience.
Beside the man’s bed stood a picture-perfect family portrait. The dad, the mom, and their two children smiled at Steven while a less traditional interpretation of marital bliss was taking place…
Later, their “romantic” date concluded over drinks. Afterward, Steven — who occasionally likes to finish his last beer alone — found himself sitting peacefully in a nearby park.
A woman walked past.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hello.”
“Why are you sitting here alone?”
“Just chilling. I was out with a friend, but I wanted to finish my beer by myself. Where are you headed, miss?”
“I went out with my colleagues,” she said. “But just like you, I wanted to finish my glass of wine alone. May I join you?”
“Of course. The pleasure is all mine.”
And so, beneath the stars, two strangers began exchanging life stories.
“So, this woman starts telling me aaaall about her life,” Steven began.
“Her wonderful husband, the deep love and respect they shared for one another… the two children they had raised together in perfect harmony… She couldn’t stop talking about how lucky she was to have the perfect family.”
“Yeah, right… that’s why she was sitting in the park in the middle of the night… drinking wine with a stranger…”
“Oh, just wait,” Steven laughed.
“So I asked her, ‘Can I see them? Do you have a photo?
She reached for her phone…
And I swear, I kid you not… it was the exact same family portrait that had stared at me while this lady’s husband was giving me a rather enthusiastic French kiss only hours earlier.”
… Within the space of one evening, Steven had somehow met both sides of a marriage: the husband carnally… and the wife platonically…
Turns out, our toast to celibacy acquired photographic evidence.
Hope you’re having a picture-perfect summer… whatever that looks like for you!
See you next Sunday at 4.
Love, Kiki