I have joked a ton about dating, especially in our little town of Fort Bragg and I would like to set the record straight. The dating pool is not empty or depleted like I (and many others) have shouted. There truly are a great many amazing single women in the area. Yes, it is a small town and because of this the rumors, lies, family beef, friend’s opinions or even the truth gives you pause to try. I say take this year and try something new and break the chains the past holds over you. Always choose the chance at love, as like the song says there is not enough of it in the world, even if you think it may not last forever.

Look I have an image I have portrayed online that, like much of Facebook, it is not quite true. I am going to delve into my thoughts on it today and more in the future. As with everything I write I would be honored if you read it and commented. I am not trying to change anyone’s mind on anything, my goal is for you to open your mind period. Just wait until my political posts start, I will have no fans left on social media.

My two youngest children over the last 15 years since my divorce have only seen me with two members of the opposite sex. The first was many years ago before moving to Ukiah. You could classify this as my last real relationship. Thankfully my children were too young to remember the details. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I didn’t ruin it, but I am happy to see how well she has done since then. The second was an afternoon in Utah when I had to pick my son up because of a scheduling conflict and lasted less than 15 minutes. Strange right? The only other relationship I had was a long-distance one which was as physically pleasing as it was emotionally devastating. It was at least as unhealthy as many of the relationships I hear about from friends today, if not more. I have asked friends to introduce me to people on semi blind meetups, all resemble for lack of a better analogy, a train wreck.

I am attractive, have a dark sense of humor, am articulate and can flourish in any social situation. I am a gentleman; I have an unshakeable positive attitude; I am chivalrous and treat everyone with respect. So why would I keep myself out of the standard dating scene for so long? The first reason is that I did not wonder who was first in my life or where my attention and affection lay, they were. This standard is not for everyone, I won’t ever tell you how to live your life, this was my chosen path, and it is not normal. The second is the drama quotient. I am an empath who HAD a need to fix all the wounded birds out there. The third and last that I will share now is the balance of time versus reward, yes, a bit mercenary, but it allowed me to reach the place of self-awareness I am at today.

Since my children left, I spend 85% of my time alone and if not for my volunteering at the Food Bank, it would be closer to 99%. I truly enjoy my own company. I can cook (some say very well), clean, and even wash my own Cinch 9” underwear without ruining them…. I will never forgive the person that introduced me to them. I communicate with my children frequently, have friends around the world who are reachable in an instant AND the Pudding Creek Trestle to occupy my time. I have transportation, finally, that is reliable. This allows me to travel when and where I wish, so my most basic needs are met. Now comes the big question, what am I looking for?  I am not looking for someone to complete me or to complete someone else. I don’t believe someone who is broken should be in a relationship with me, or honestly with anyone, but that is a post for another day. I would like to meet a person that has a clue about who they are with a life they love (or working to get there).  I miss physical contact, waking up next to someone and not having to go everywhere #HanSolo. I don’t have a preference on whether it is an occasional thing or full time, just that there is honesty with an open line of communication. Maybe this is unrealistic, but I will be fine as I know needs from wants. I have so much more to say, but real life has reared its ugly head. Peace.