Next Time I’ll Buy A New Dress

Living in a rural area, meeting new people is hard and finding a suitable mate outside school or church is darn near impossible. So a friend suggested that I give online dating a whirl before completely resigning from the dating scene

Turns out, online dating only expedited the resignation

Yikes. Guys. You wouldn’t believe the things I saw and the things men seem to think are suitable pick up lines. I know some people who are happily married after meeting their spouses this way but I’m guessing they’re in the minority.

Another friend keeps sending me stories about women murdered by guys they met online. That seems to be his way of showing support and was helpful in keeping my trust issues alive.

If you’re considering online dating, here’s some friendly advice. Gentlemen, take off the hat, shave and smile for the camera. No one wants to date a sad looking guy who can’t even smile to make a good first impression. Gals, my advice for you is to look for red flags and trust your gut. You don’t owe anyone anything and if a fella is pressuring you to meet and you’re not ready, that’s his problem and not yours. There are a lot of crazies out there and I encountered several that seem to fit that category.

But honestly, I wouldn’t bother. My philosophy is that I need to go out and live my life and be happy. If someone comes along, great. If not, well … I’m happy anyway!

My subscription expires today and I am relieved that it’s over and I can stop feeling guilty for wasting the money. Next time, I’ll just spend the money on a new dress and take myself out to dinner!

No Boys Allowed

I found this on my hike the other day. It was pretty close to the middle of nowhere so it was hard to pass by – especially given that it made me giggle.

Plus, it suits my recent mood as I’ve all but given up on the idea of dating. I met someone kind of recently who I thought had potential but I was wrong. So back to my solitary life I go, wandering the backroads and trails and making pictures of all the stuff I see.

It’s a pretty good life I have and I’m frequently reminded of this by couples arguing in public and parents struggling to manage their difficult kids.

I can go anywhere I please, whenever I like and there’s no one along to say “I don’t know… where do you want to eat?” every time you have to choose a restaurant.

Here’s another fun image from that hike. In case you’re wondering, I was on the Buckeye Trail between Cedar Falls and Ash Cave. It’s an easy hike where you’ll see some wildlife and hear a lot of birds.