THE BEGINNING

Starting a blog like this on Thanksgiving is appropriate as I have a lot to be thankful for and it occurred to me that I could start giving back as well. The basic condition of life is learning how to live, how to satisfy our needs and responsibly pursue our goals and desires. I have found that men today, especially seniors, face a lot of challenges that they are unprepared for in the arena we will call “love and caring” in the context of “dating”. Growing old gracefully is difficult enough to learn; how to do it with a mate can be even more daunting.

But first, a little background; let’s lay a foundation of understanding. I have been married a number of times, once for one month, once for twenty-three years, and once for nine years. While single for the last eleven years I have been on every major USA dating site and three foreign sites. I have met hundreds of women for coffee, dated a few (one at a time), lived with a few, and married a few.

I am not a professional marriage counselor, just a man who has been immersed in just about every relationship experience possible and like a counselor able to provide the power of explanation (so I am told). Besides I have seen a number of people mired in years of counseling looking for some explanation about how the past went wrong and understanding if they have been the problem; my recommendation is to avoid these people as they have not resolved their past. I have seen very few relationships work when one person is still in counseling.

I was raised in the Midwest USA, orphaned for a while, lived with my mom and adoptive dad, and shuttled to relatives every summer in the country.  I entered the military, became a commissioned officer, led a combat platoon, and began a career that would take me all over the world mentoring hundreds of young aspiring professional people.  I have had European and Asian business partners and had the pleasure to know wonderful families in many countries.  I was a sporting goods salesperson at the age of 16, a combat platoon leader in over thirty battles and on an assassination list, a major force in USA interior landscape design, sales manager of USA and Canadian companies for a number of high profile industrial brands, trained, hired and fired hundreds of salespeople and scores of non-performing managers.  Been stranded in many dangerous situations while hiking remote areas.  Been a town historian, professional storyteller, writer, editor, avocational archaeologist. Yes, I should write a book (how many times I have heard that) but I would rather offer guidance to those who are trying to find their way as I have done.

Today I am retired (stopped working at age 74) and still in the dating scene.  As of this writing I believe I have met someone I can spend the rest of my life with.  About time.  So, if I have found that person then I want to share with you the greatest route I have ever traveled – love.  Hopefully I can provide some sense of clarity for the journey you may be on and be a good guide.

Get your compass out, partner. Let’s go.

Thanks!

Ron