Are you a woman living alone? Do you have moments of sheer panic--with inner doubts you cannot cope? Take a deep breath and stand tall. Arm yourself with a bushel of self-confidence, a dozen or so "How To" books, and read the manual on the care of your car. Then, get on with your life!

To help you make the transition into a world devised by men, the following situations and solutions to possible problems may prove helpful. These are from real life episodes in the life of a single working woman who has survived. I throw out the lifeline to my fellow working sisters who are going it alone. Along with a few bruised thumbs--occasionally a bruised ego--I am coping better every day.

With hammer and screwdriver in hand, I took the curtain rod out of the wrapper and unfolded the instruction sheet. "It is necessary to have a Phillips screwdriver for installation." I ponder--was it named for a Mr. Phillips, in which case should the P be capitalized? The lack of capitalization would brand one as not knowledgeable or lacking correct tools.

I looked at my screwdriver. It is not one of Mr. Phillips, but an unnamed brand. It does not resemble the one pictured in the illustration. Frustration can begin with small things. Like, does a screw have just a single line across the head or two crossed lines. When the head of the screw held in your hand has two lines and you have four unnamed screwdrivers, none designed by Mr. Phillips, you are in trouble.

Do not panic. Go to the kitchen and select a paring knife with a narrow point. It will do the job. As the screw descends into the wall, the paring knife will take on a strange shape. The only use for a paring knife after substituting for a Phillips screwdriver is a cork screw. You will then have the necessary tool to remove a cork from a wine bottle.

The most used item in my tool kit is a bobby pin. Small "b" I think.

An old metal nutcracker comes in handy to drive nails when you cannot find your hammer. Besides, it does not hurt as much when you miss the nail. A high heel shoe is another good substitute.

Keep a supply of rubber bands on hand. These serve as stop-gap measures to hold two pieces together until you find the right glue.

Should your windshield wipers give out on a late cold Sunday night and all the stores are closed and you need to be at your desk at 8:00 am, you can make it. Count on a freezing mist starting at 7:00 am Monday morning. Do not despair. I used an old hot water bottle. This was filled with hot water, tossed on the front seat of my car, and off I went. When the light turned red about a mile from my home, I jumped from my car, held the hot water bottle on the windshield on the driver's side and it melted the ice. It did leave a rather strange design, but a clear view ahead! Now, drivers on either side did give me a strange look. Never allow a strange look to bother you for you know what you are doing.

If you are a cat fancier, you will surely have a bag of "Tidy" kitty litter in the garage. Should the streets be slick and icy, take the bag of litter with you. The light will always turn red just as you reach the top of a steep hill. When it turns green again, all four wheels will spin when you try to move ahead. Get out, reach in the back seat and bring forth the kitty litter. Scatter under the wheels and you will take off fast. In the rear view mirror you can observe the man behind you spinning his wheels with no kitty litter on board.

Should you live in an apartment complex, the landlord will likely forbid the hanging of pictures and art objects. No nail holes is usually the rule. You attend an art festival and find a print you cannot live without. No problem. Just close the door, turn up the stereo, and with the aid of your shoe, drive a nail in the wall. Six months later, a better deal in an apartment may arrive and you want to redeem your deposit and move on. You can get that deposit back. When the picture, along with the nail is removed, the hole has greatly enlarged. Numerous cracks will have appeared. Despair not. Grab your toothpaste and with your index finger, work into the hole and cracks. As all apartments are the same color

--apartment house cream--the toothpaste will make a perfect match. If you have only the green breath freshener toothpaste--forget it and your deposit.

Always take a flashlight when driving alone at night. Lock your car when in meetings. Car doors can be unlocked by most men. However, most men do not spend their evenings unlocking car doors. When you return to your car, flash the light into both the back and front seat. Should a man be lurking on the floor, he will be startled. Once you have the advantage, you can take off screaming. However, should you be in the market for a man, you could nonchalantly drive off with him. A note of warning--men who lurk on floorboards of cars make poor prospects.

These survival hints will help explain why women live longer than men.

[Reprinted from SSIS Newsletter, October 1987]