I was reading through personal ads this evening. I’d had the brilliant idea of creating a satirical version of one for my book. But as I read through them, I felt slightly guilty for wanting to do this, as if I were deliberately exploiting these people. Yes, these women – and men – are desperate and resorting to measures many of us would turn our noses up at, but are they really that crazy? They’re taking a huge leap of faith, and putting themselves on print, for what? The chance to find their soul mate – or someone who will fit the bill, that’s what. For some, the quest to find the One is much like the quest for the Holy Grail. These people aren’t afraid to admit that they are looking for love and wide open to what the universe will throw at them. But are they too open to romance? Will they fall for the first person who lands on their doorstep? Will the sting of loneliness or the imminent ticking biological clock influence them to make decisions they would normally take into more consideration? One woman, I read, was willing to move states, if it meant a chance at having companionship. When you start depending on someone else, does that mean you have to sacrifice your independence as well? How much sacrificing is needed to achieve fulfillment, and are you really that fulfilled if you’ve had to sacrifice to get what you supposedly want? When it comes to matters of the heart, how far will we go to achieve our hopes and dreams?