The Ideal Mate

When I was in my 20's it seemed that there was a cornucopia of men to choose from. There were tall ones, short ones, round ones, ugly ones and not-so-ugly ones. Men were available and willing to have relationships. I had no worries in the love department.

Well, back to present day. I'm in my mid thirties and divorced. This time the scene is totally different. Sometime before my divorce was final the Rapture happened and all the men were caught up in the clouds, the single, non-defective men, that is. The men that I meet now all carry more baggage than a flight to Europe. So, I wonder what's different, what happened? Then I realize the awful truth, I'm different. Sometime before the Rapture, but after I left college, I grew up. I became independent, self-sufficient, and able to be alone without feeling alone.....damn it!

Dating when you're 30-something is a wake-up call as well. I have dated doctors, engineers, computer geeks, lawyer (that was a really bad one), and several psychologists. So you think, "Oh that's nice." No it isn't. Sadly, the amount of education a man has is not proportional to amount of maturity he has (or anything else he has either).....just kidding...sort of..

Here's what I've learned from this experience. First....the view of the world and your place in it will define your social life. If you think that a day spent at a tractor pull is the highlife, then be prepared when all of your potential mates prefer you wear a tube top and spit tobacco. So don't complain when that's all you can find. Secondly....no matter what men say, they don't like a strong, independent female. If you go this route, be prepared to spend time alone. The few men out there that like women like us all have boyfriends. This was the hardest of the lessons for me to learn. Lastly...you can't wait for a boyfriend/husband to live your life. If there's a movie you want to see, then see it. If there's a place you want to go, then travel there.

Life is short and it should be lived. End of lecture....