As time has gone by, I have become more and more sure of my decision to step away from dating for a while. I will reenter the arena later as a sixty-year-old, I will change my age on my profile so I won't be lying about it anymore, and I (hopefully) will have unlocked my emotions. I had forgotten how much I liked not having a man in my life in a romantic capacity.
I purchased a six-month membership to the online dating service, and continue to receive new 'matches' daily. I look, I ponder, I delete. I am not really intrigued by any of them. This is now leading me to understand that my criteria for choosing men have got to change. I don't disagree with my former 'deal-breakers': no gamblers, no one under 5'8", no renters, no non-Christians, no one 'between jobs'. The handsome one was 'between jobs' but he was okay because he was not in financial straits and had many viable job prospects. He was, for that reason though, sort of 'iffy'. Some men look like possibilities and I let their 'matches' go without deleting them. I figure if these particular guys contact me, I'll write back. When men I don't feel intrigued with contact me, I just don't answer. As for the criteria, I don't know what they'll be. I'll have to read profiles carefully and decide what it is in the writing, in the choice of stock answers and what's important to them, that I will have to use to decide whether or not a man is going to be worth a date. I can't go by looks anymore.
I forgot though, that there was another 'match' who already had my phone number but thought that since I had ignored his last message that maybe he wouldn't call again. He called again. I talked with him but my week was all booked up tight. He said he was a pilot in his profile, and I have found out that is technically true. But he doesn't fly now. As a matter of fact, he teaches flying and is temporarily grounded for health reasons. What could those reasons be? I put my money on an angioplasty. He'll call again. Maybe I'll meet with him to try out the new approach: show up for the first meeting in a dress and make it a coffee date only. After all, this online dating experience is supposed to be more for me to learn how to date again than it is for me to find another 'Mr. Right'. If I meet 'Mr. Right', great. If I don't, I don't.
