Date #2
Mr. On-Line Date #1 didn't work out. After breaking two subsequent luncheon dates with me, he sent me a very polite e-mail, stating that distance was the culprit, since he lives almost 2 hours away. Ah, well... It's been a lo-oong time since I've had to deal with romantic rejection - and this one stung.
So I screwed up my courage one more time and went back to the on-line parade of too-young and too-old men - more muscle shirts and motorcycles - more English-as-a-second language - and more inappropriate overtly sexual messages. And then, along came a candidate. I had to sort of "pursue" him, as he seemed a little reluctant. Another one blaming "distance" as the hurdle. I assured him that I wasn't all THAT far away, and a meeting point was easily just an hour's drive for each of us.
He finally relented, and we set up the meeting date and place for lunch. It was a miserable, cold, rainy day - but I pressed on. We met in a lovely restaurant, and a three-hour lunch ensued. He was delightful, funny, interesting, and I didn't have to DRAG conversation out of him. He was also easy on the eyes - tall and attractive, well-spoken - and I'd learned during previous e-mails that he could spell and punctuate, which is a 'plus' in my book.
And date #2 came along this past weekend - here in my town, with a cabaret fund-raiser on Saturday night and a food festival on Sunday afternoon. It was the first weekend in almost 2 1/2 years that I haven't sat glued to the TV and feeling unutterably lonely. He was comfortable to be with - and seemed to enjoy himself. I was happy to introduce him to friends around town - and my surviving 15-yr-old dog fell in love with him.
So maybe there's hope after all - after this long, cold and empty winter. The air is filled with the newness and lushness of spring - and just maybe this will be a beginning of whatever. I feel the seeds of a nice friendship, even if it doesn't progress any farther - and I'm not intimidated by the "distance." (Hell, I'm an old California girl, accustomed to driving for HOURS to get somewhere I want to be.) I'm cautiously optimistic, and full of hope. So we'll see where it goes...
