My husband died in 2012. At the time, I knew no other man could take his place. I never wanted to date again, much less marry. I find in 2015 time has healed many wounds. My heart opened its door to the possibility of new love and I am looking for another special guy.
After moving to a small town to care for an ailing sibling, I discovered a huge world of married men and darned few looking for a pudgy sixty-eight year old. Heck, I do not even have pictures of grandchildren with whom to pose, thus giving me that ‘granny glow’. The most I can offer is a picture of my grand beagle, an adorable bundle of wiggles.
This lack of local talent led me to dating sites, which in turn led to minor successes. My first date, whom I invited to join me for supper with friends and relatives, assured me he ate absolutely anything. The big moment arrived and so did he.
“Oh, don’t put any of those tomatoes in mine, or mushrooms, or onions, or…” I was making spaghetti with red sauce that rapidly changed to Alfredo with no mushrooms. Since cooking is not second nature to this old gal and he did not have the funds to eat out every night, I waved farewell at the end of the evening…permanently. I do not need a wealthy man to buy every meal, but, darn it, if I am cooking, eat the stuff! I spent years learning to be a tolerable force in the kitchen and do not intend to see it go to waste.
Truth in Advertising – He also had a family which wanted to be in every aspect of his life. I am not into civil wars and had no intention of taking on that crew.
A second Don Juan asked me out. In the beginning, a link seemed possible. We both loved flea markets, thrift shops, reading, learning to cook together and talking. Except we did not talk that much on the first dates and that may be why several passed before I called the whole thing off. For when we got around to having a full conversation, I discovered he had a few biases such as skin color and religion. Those alone made me want to change horses in mid-stream, but when he made known a child should be destroyed if it not born perfect, I took off across the pasture looking for a horse with horse sense! ‘Cause, you see, I have one of those precious children and life is glorious with her. Murdering her in the womb made no sense then and does not now.
Other women looking for that second, third or fourth chance have their own list of wants. Some look for money; others a great sense of humor. Some are cougars on the prowl for young bodies while others look for a man of their own age who will enjoy a good movie or sit on the porch in their final years. Some want conversational wits.
Sadly, some settle for anyone. Girls, let me tell you this: If a man hits you before you marry him, he will be worse when you say “I do.” If a man has no money and wants you to pay his way, run. He loves your money and not you. If his wandering hands and feet follow his wandering eyes to the nearest pretty face, toss him to her with a grin on your face. He is not worth keeping.
On the other hand, if you grab and keep his attention, he treats you with respect and caring, he is willing to share all parts of his life and expects the same from you; do not hesitate for a moment. These men are rare. They are treasures to be revered and loved.
Being older does not mean you must settle for less than the best. You are worth more than that. A guy may look ‘dangerous and exciting’. Be certain before accepting his ring that it is a look and not what your marriage would be.
By the way, it is not a sin to enjoy being single. In fact, this is the one time in your life when you are open to doing whatever you want without answering to anyone else. Why not take advantage of the opportunity? Who knows? You just might find Mister Right while on a great adventure!