It's interesting how much life really changes as we get older. When we're young -- say, in our late teens and early 20s -- we have ample time for ourselves, but not much money to make the most of that time. Once we hit our 30s -- the time when we typically settle down to start a family and are more established in our careers -- we find ourselves on more solid footing financially, but with much less time available than we had in our post-high school years. It isn't until the kids move out for college that we transition back to a life where we can focus more on ourselves and our interests, but by then, those interests tend to be radically different than the ones we enjoyed when we were younger. It's no surprise more and more couples are waiting longer to have kids -- or are opting not to have them at all.  Perfectly content with their sans-kids lifestyle, such couples are in no hurry to go from a life of unfettered freedom to baby bottles and Dora the Explorer. ...

Let's face it: Having good looks means nothing if you're a bad person. Beauty is only skin deep. Those who are smug and think they can treat others with disrespect only because they're physically attractive are demonstrating one thing: they're ugly on the inside, and that makes them ugly as a whole. I don't care whether you have a gorgeous face or an amazing body. A rotten personality undermines one's best physical attributes. I'd take a "4" with a big heart over a "10" who's as deep as a puddle any day of the week. I can't stand people who are conceited -- the ones who walk around thinking they're owed something on account of their good looks. They act as if they're God's gift to the world and often belittle those who aren't as physically eye-catching. It's these people who eventually wind up alone. Looks fade. People get wrinkles and gain weight. Old age catches up with us sooner or later. On the ot...