14 Abr Looking for love in digital places: My adventures with online dating

Her Perfect Match: “Just looking for someone who isn't Jack the Ripper, has a pulse and can look at life in a humorous way. Must like music, have two brain cells to rub together and not live in Timbuktu. Aside from that everything is negotiable.”

That's my favorite dating profile so far, and I've read a million of 'em while perusing various online dating sites since I got back in the game.

I didn't ask “Blonde Biohazard” for a date. She lives too far away. Long-distance relationships usually don't work, which I've learned while driving all over the Mid-Atlantic. But I complimented her on her cleverness and originality. Sounds like she's gained some wisdom the hard way in her search for a guy who isn't a complete moron - or worse.

Horror stories

I've heard lots of horror stories about other men from women I've met online. Guys who post creepy profile pictures in various states of undress or wearing camo gear and holding high-powered weapons. Guys who start asking for sex before the first date. Guys who apparently consider bathing optional.

Apart from moral and hygienic considerations, what kind of dumb do you have to be to think this approach would attract women?

I'm not on Tinder or other “hookup” sites, by the way. I'm talking about vanilla dating portals intended for folks looking for friendship, LTRs (Long Term Relationships) or marriage. Some of them are geared toward people 50 and older. But it's a pretty wild scene out there, even if you're a Christian seeking another Christian.

Why am I dating, something I haven't done since the first Reagan administration, in my semi-doddering 60s? Short version: God blessed me with a wonderful, 33-year marriage to the sweetest woman in the world. We were looking forward to a new stage of life with the kids grown and on their own. But my wife died of cancer in early 2017. I've been wandering in the wilderness, more or less, ever since.