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SHOUTOUTS

To Diane -- and everyone whose relationships have gone the way of white shoes on Labor Day -- from BG:

Oh no! I was just about to answer your earlier letter when I got the news! So sorry your summer ended, if you know what I mean. Sometimes that's just in the cards, on the calendar, as the case may be. Nurse your wounds in the crisp air, and concentrate on your Improv career -- so far it's been working for Chris!

To Karen from Scintillating in Scarlet:

As horrible as it may sound, some men just can't handle the idea that women are going to have histories. After all, how did these guys themselves start racking up the numbers? Wasn't some other party involved in that little transaction? That said, you pretty much have three options: be up front and unapologetic, say nothing, or lie.

Remember, if there is anything specific about your past (medical stuff for example), you should at least be truthful about that. However, what you tell beyond that is up to you. Personally, I don't recommend even the whitest of lies. The truth has a nasty way of coming out when you least expect it. I prefer skirting the edge: don't ask, don't tell! And if the question is asked of me directly, I remain a woman of mystery.

They have done studies that show that the majority of men believe their significant other should have had three or fewer partners in their entire life prior to meeting them. In some ways, admirable; if one can say that and mean it. For the rest of us, keeping the mystery is probably the best option. A guy who'll call "a past" a dealbreaker may miss out on a girl with a healthy -- safely, selectively, and discreetly exercised -- libido.