Dating at the Prime of Life
For all its pain and suffering, marriage does have one distinct advantage: we don’t have to date. From all I hear it seems really, really, painfully difficult. And it’s not just that I’ve been married so long that I have forgotten what it was like. I never actually dated. I was one of those dreadful girls who just went from one boyfriend to another to my husband with precious few periods of ‘dating’ in between.
I’m not sure I could handle the scene at this age, which–if my friends are to be believed–includes the following:
- men who have grandchildren, yet still live with their mothers
- women who run credit reports before the first date
- limited small town prospects that make dating after divorce feel like getting tossed into a bag of ‘Shake ‘N Bake until someone sticks
- too-high bikini area maintenance standards
- modern communication: did he really get my text?
- so much corporate travel you have to MapQuest your own address when you finally get home
- the new math required to determine how many dates until…
- exes and custody schedules
But go on, y’all – date. I enjoy living vicariously through you. I live to give you my bullshit all-knowing advice without having to personally suffer the emotional upheaval it causes. Who knows? You may end up married like me. Then I’ll be very helpful.
by Lela Davidson on January 15, 2010
in Marriage, Random Amusements
Some of these sound familiar. And you forgot the unicorns! Have I mentioned lately that you’re a brat?
Well, at least someone is taking joy in my misery. Dating does suck but I also know some pretty miserable married people and that, my friend, is a hell of a lot more permanent than unicorns, or three ex-wives, or whatever other bizarre stuff they come up with.
Dating sounds frightening… I never dated. I only had one boyfriend and we ended up getting married. The notion of trying to date now is scary – and I am VERY grateful that I don’t have to do it!
Lori: I thought the unicorns would unnecessarily identify… a friend.
Lori: Ouch!
Melissa: I wish you all the luck in the world. You may be one of the lucky ones. Maybe.
Oh boy did I date, A LOT! It sucks in your 20s (even when it’s fun…it’s still pretty annoying), I can only imagine how small the “pool” gets as time progresses.
I dated a bit in college, but when they started dating each other I realized it was time to stop going out with fellow music majors. So I married the boy next door, who was studying accounting and finance and also was clearly straight, and I never looked back.
I hope all of those former boyfriends are happy together. I really do.
Yeah, totally single and totally staying that way. I live in a small town. Dating is dangerous around these parts. Plus, people seem to find the relationship between my ex-husband and me very disturbing because we actually like each other-now anyway. It’s not worth the drama.