My Real-Life Golden Bachelorette Journey, Part Two
LIttle did I know our weekly staff meeting would turn into a dating intervention.
I am a big believer in signs from the universe. Sign number 5,407 happened during this week’s AJPT team meeting, where we Zoom in from our living rooms, quiet booths, cars, and even a Cracker Barrel parking lot to discuss story ideas and all manner of tomfoolery.
When the subject of my dating search came up, the rest of the team really let me have it—in a good way, though. I was lamenting the fact that the pipeline has been, well, a bit of a dribble. There are plenty of fish in the Atlantic, but it currently feels like that moment in Jaws where the guys have been out there in the middle of the water waiting for that damn shark to rear its ugly head so long that the tension is almost unbearable!
Anywho, Jane (who I adore) [beyond likewise, V! - Jane] said I should open myself up to dating much younger men because I am being too limiting, to which I reminded them all that my son is 24 and I’d feel like a cougar. But they didn’t let me get away with that and doubled down on the idea that I should widen the net. Point taken.
Then Esther (who I also adore because she always offers thoughtful devil’s advocate advice that makes total sense) chimed in and said, “You did mention that the person has to be monogamous.” (Yes, I did that.) I didn’t think that was such a big deal but remember, I have been engaged and married off and on for a total of about 32 years, so my perception of monogamy being a non-negotiable may be a little outdated. I had to admit to myself that maybe I was being a bit of a prude. (What say you women of a certain age out here in these dating streets?)
Jane asked our resident male Charlie (who is adorably acerbic) if he knew any men he’d recommend to me, and in true Charlie fashion, he blurted out, “Nope,” which quickly sent me on a mind detour wondering about his circle of friends, lol, IJK. Then Ani (who is effortlessly adorable by nature) chimed in and said, “I don’t know any men,” because of course she is in a committed relationship with a woman (read more about that here) which I respect and kinda envy.
Oh, what to do, what to do? Well, then sign 5,408 came across my timeline:
So, AJPT fam, I am pledging to try on as many pairs as I can in order to find my perfect fit—which we all know takes forever when it comes to jeans (the accuracy of it all!) There are already a few contenders, but I’d love to hear from more potential matches before mid-November when the holiday swirl sets in. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll have a date for New Year’s Eve?
Just send your suggestions my way to vanessa@anotherjaneprattthing.com, and I promise to share the play-by-play of my meet-ups soon.
How do the rest of you deal with the dating pool? I am eager to hear about your journey as well (and don’t spare any details, lol).
I'm proud to say that I have a beloved circle of friends who are entirely undatable! Whether that is because they are married with families or that they are true weirdos who are prime candidates for the "before" version of the man in a Hallmark rom-com, yet unfixable because this is the real world, is not my call to make. LOL
You already know from my post yesterday that I do not date. Since I was a teenager, I have a real fear of them. The idea of being seated at a table - in a corner sometimes even! - with low lighting and occasionally multiple courses of food making it harder to quickly leave - makes me feel trapped and panicky. I never worried about the other person not liking me, but always fixated on the many ways that I didn't like them. That's why I am even more impressed that you are doing this dating experiment and writing about it, Vanessa. You are so open to relationship goodness that it is surely coming your way. And staying far away from mine!