Nice Shoes....

When it comes to pick up lines, I prefer the classics. Any type of physical flattery works because, let's face it, when two people lock eyes across a smokey bar, a winning personality, easy-going sense of humor or kind and gentle soul aren't among the first traits that stick out. That's why I dig the compliments on my dress, eyes, smile, legs, and shoes - they are straight-forward and easy to work with. Plus, it keeps me in check with realizing that, to a stranger, I am nothing more than a sum of the pieces I chose to express myself - which, when you think about it, is much more profound than you may realize.

I like to tell people things that are not true. But I wouldn't consider myself a liar, because really, my lies are just ways of making things more interesting. I feel that with the right story, clothes and attitude, I can be anyone I want to be - at least for a night. Really, I'm one of the most open and honest people you could imagine, I just have an over-active imagination and a knack for story-telling.

In the past, I've gone out, met people and lied about who I was, what I did and other such factors we use to orient ourselves to the world around us- sometimes to score a free drink, sometimes just to see what I can get away with.

I've been a traveling poet.
a flight attendant.
a Neuropsychologist.
a palm reader.
Homeless.
Foreign.
a composer for pet food jingles.
a cobbler.
a ranch hand.
an award-winning chef.
and once, a snake charmer.

I've always had an interesting experience when playing one of my roles - like explaining how I could be a bar-hopping Morman or what it was like to grow up Amish.

Then, one day, I decided to put my talents to work on a little sociological experiment. I'm calling it "Who do you Love" (pretty much because "Boys lie and so do I" sounded a little too man-hater for my intended audiance). But here's my plan:

Every month I develop a character.

Week one: I publish her story - to really get into character, I'll need to know everything from her past failures to future dreams, I'll make up and then master her present quirks and habits. I'll name her and probably give her a theme song.

Week two: I publish her wardrobe - since that's how everyone will be seeing her.

Week three: I take her out on the town and see how the world responds to her. I'll publish where she went, what she drank, who approached her and how, what peaked their interest, and how they reacted to her personality.

After one year, I will have been 12 different women.

I will have spent 12 months looking for "love" in all the "wrong" places.

I'll spend these next 12 months reinventing myself, lying about my life- trying on different experiences, learning from someone elses' past and dreaming of their future.

And after 12 months, I'll be able to draw some conclusions - Who did "they" love?

Was it who I expected?