If you thought dating in high school was hard, try dating at 40.  I’m in the process of completing a divorce.  I love that lady and wish her the best.  We are divorcing on mutual rather friendly terms. I’m forever grateful for that.  Our relationship ran its course, and we simply could not reconcile some key issues going forward.  As adults should, we concluded and resolved the situation, nothing messing, and we both are resolute.  To the point, I am now on the market.

Leading up to the divorce, I began engaging in the dating scene.  Loved it.

I entered the market with the expectation to have fun for as long as I was a viable match. Suppose something turned out to be long term, great. If not, it is what it is. I expect to die single.  Not ideal, but based on my assessment and what I want, it’s likely.

What I want.  A woman with no kids, takes her health seriously and is relatively attractive.  That alone means I will likely compromise and accept a woman with a child (likely), snag a young woman 30 or under (least likely), or die alone (bullseye).  On the rare chance I meet a woman without kids in her late thirty’s cool, but definitely not holding my breath.

What I have encountered.

• Fun is absolutely happening, with women of all ages between 25 and 50.  It feels good to be considered a match and attractive by most that I have encountered.  I’m going to have fun for at least the next ten years; my immediate interactions have confirmed my belief in this.  I expect to hit a wall around 60.

• Ladies don’t age concerning desires.  To my surprise, women at any age require attention and reassurance that they are desired.  I incorrectly assumed that it was a young woman phase.  I figured if the woman was over 30, say 35 at best, that the need to text and talk every day was not required.  The need to confirm the plan was not needed.  The need to ensure feelings was not required.  Wrong. WRONG. True story, a 43-year-old woman asked me why I didn’t text her before the day had ended when my last text was the day before.

• Right time wrong place. I have found a ton of fun and potentially long-term relationships, but no one with what I specifically want in my location. However, on the web, using the sites available, I have found what would appear to be perfect matches in distances too far to be viable.

• The catfish is real. Nothing more to say, don’t understand it, but it is real.

• COVID is killing the game. COVID has limited my ability to interact with the opposite specimen in person.  Online is cool, but my preference is in person.

The future. Who knows, but 2020 is a wrap, 2021, and the rest of it will be interesting.  Hopefully, the world finds a way to move beyond COVID, and I meet my mate or maximize my life experiences. Life is what you make it. Regardless of the circumstance, I firmly believe this, and I plan to make the most of it.