A Few Dating Stories - Q4 2017

While nothing warranting its own entry has taken place, from a dating perspective, in the last few months, I thought I'd share a few recent experiences.

I'll begin by providing a bit of context, with respect to the dating landscape here in Kansas City.  In addition to so many women posting photos of themselves hunting or fishing, I'm smacked in the face and reminded I now live in the Bible Belt almost every time I look at a woman's profile.  I've never seen either God or Jesus mentioned so many times in my life.  As a result, the dating pool here is neither broad nor deep.  Seriously, having just looked, I can tell you that I've got 269 dating profiles hidden on my Match.com account, mostly for religious incompatibility.

Since I've hit the KC area, I've met three women.  The first, I discovered was just a huge mistake, but that's a story not worth sharing.  With the second, I was very interested and wanted to see her again, but she didn't feel a spark.  I honestly have never had that happen before.  The third, I chronicled in my religion post.  Only three actual dates in a new area, where I've never played before.  This isn't a function of lack of interest from the opposite sex.  For example, today alone I received four unsolicited notes from women, along with another three passive aggressive means of showing interest.  Yet, while I've sincerely endeavored to cease using Sloan as a benchmark, the pickings remain slim.

Perhaps out of frustration over there being so few potentially compatible women, I've slowly begun to accept what appears to be the new normal.  I'm referring to the trend of educated, intelligent people losing the ability to write real messages, with complete thoughts and actual sentences.  It truly makes me ill that our ability to communicate has deteriorated to such a low.  In any case, I've not automatically dismissed someone who communicates in such a manner.  Hell, I even responded to a woman who couldn't differentiate between 'your' and 'you're'!

To that end, a few days ago, I actually responded to a woman who sent barely a sentence (at least she gave me her name).  I thought 'I can do this; I can really treat email as texting.'  Unfortunately, I was disappointed yet again.  After 14 message exchanges, I realized this woman hadn't asked me one question about me; she was contributing nothing to the conversation and I was completely carrying the damned thing.  It should come as no surprise I dropped it, at that point.

A month or so ago, another loon appeared on the scene.  Based upon her profile and initial email, she seemed like a nice package; hot, well educated, a closet dirty girl, etc.  Then, for reasons that aren't germane to this story, she disclosed she'd been married and divorced twice.  This was on our third email exchange.  Needless to say, sirens began blaring and red lights started flashing in my head.  I was very up front and told her that was a deal breaker for me.  I couldn't figure out how to diplomatically say that every woman I'd been involved with who'd been married twice before me (including my borderline ex-wife), was utterly and completely bat shit crazy.  So, I left that part out.  Then came the emails.  First was the challenge, that I was being unfair; she sent this note both through Match and direct to my 'real' email.  Then came a rather lengthy note explaining why her first marriage ended.  If what she said was true (and I have no reason to believe otherwise), her first husband was a whack job, himself, so the marriage couldn't be repaired.  She promised to share the circumstances of her second marriage.  My mind was already made up, and I'd communicated the sentiment, so I didn't respond to her notes.  Admittedly, I was interested in what she had to say about marriage number two, but I've learned that engagement can be mistaken for interest.  Instead of insight, I received two more notes on both Match and regular email.  The first berated me for not acknowledging her and the second was a 'good luck on your search'.  Your honor, I rest my case on women who want to make you husband #3 or greater.

How's your love life, single readers?