I was standing at a café waiting for my celebrity-sized coffee the other day when I overheard this conversation between two women.

“So I said, ‘This is just me, you have to accept who I am’,” one said.

“And I am a person who likes cats. So that means if he wants me, he is going to have to take me cats and all.”

“So he wants you to get rid of the cats before you move in together?” her friend asked.

“Oh, no, he doesn’t want me to get rid of Tiggers and Minx (names have been changed to protect the innocent). He wants me to get a new bedspread, because he doesn’t want to sleep on a bed with cats on it. And he wants a new dinner set, because he doesn’t like the cats on that either.

“Honestly, I think we’ll have to break up. If he can’t deal with who I am now, then imagine what he’ll be like in 20 years time.”

The cat woman and her friend toddled off with their skinny caramel lattes with extra cream and brownies to continue the conversation, and short of following them secret squirrel like, I had no way to find out how the conversation ended.

Hopefully her friend told her to suck it up and ditch at least some of the cat paraphernalia, because otherwise this woman runs the risk of being all alone in 20 years time, with only Tiggers and Minx’s descendents to keep her company.

And let’s face it, they are cats, and as such, fickle creatures, who are just as likely to feast on her as show her affection.

Anyways, it got me thinking about some single women and why, in fact, they are single.

And of course I don’t mean you when I say this (or maybe I do, depending on whether you recognise yourself or not), but some women are just too damn picky.

Seriously.

I don’t mean you have to change as a person to find a man, or pretend to like stuff you don’t, or put up with someone who is completely wrong for you, just because you are afraid of being alone.

I mean, if your value systems don’t match up or if he loves nothing better than hunting baby seals and you are a vegetarian, or he believes a woman should be seen and not heard and you spend your weekends burning bras and marching the streets, than obviously he is not right for you.

But if he loves you and your cats and just isn’t so keen on sleeping in a bed adorned with pictures of the little beasts, than maybe you need to adjust your selfish cam a little.

Because the simple truth is, you are never going to find someone who loves everything you do just as much as you do.

And if you did, then that would be exceptionally boring. And creepy.

There is a little word that some people need to add to their vocabulary.

It is com-pro-mise. Say it with me now – com-pro-mise.

It can take a little getting use to and at times it is hard finding a compromise that you are both happy with, as opposed to settling on something that neither of you is too crash hot on, but it falls somewhere in between what you both are looking for.

Alex likes modern furnishings, lots of stainless steel and shiny appliances.

I adore shabby chic furnishings, country kitchens and retro appliances.

So as you can imagine, decorating our home hasn’t always been smooth sailing.

We’ve meshed the two by just checking with each other before making a major decision or purchase.

Both of us have two vetos, which can be used for anything that you really hate, even if the other loves it.

So Alex didn’t get his massively giant flat-screen television and I didn’t get a giant ornate gold frame for my John William Waterhouse print.

He deferred to my colour scheme of pink and green and I deferred to his not-so-big-and-bright colours by using the colour mostly on window frames.

Because sometimes I think we are just too quick to jump on a deal-breaker.

There are going to be plenty of big things happen in your life, plenty of real challenges, heaps of tough times and more than enough drama in your relationship without creating some out of the small stuff.

Seriously – just buy a new duvet and dinner set. Because those things are a dime a dozen, but a man who loves you just as much as you love him is very hard to find.