Finding the “right” person to share life with has never been easy for any of us. Dating, whether young adult, adult, or senior adult, is not and never will be, a streamlined experience. 

When I was growing up (I still am, according to me and those who know me), I thought a rather magical moment arrived when I would become (drum roll, please) an adult. I’d be a grown-up, which would be a relief because I believed grown-ups were mature, reasonable, emotionally well-adjusted and, fair-minded. In fact, once you became a senior citizen, you could add wisdom to the list of character traits. 

Wrong! Not even close. 

I’ve not met the woman I’d like to share life with yet, but I have met some smart, stand on their own two-feet, think for themselves women, and this has been wonderful.

I’ve had a few unexpected moments, humorous, in fact, not to mention, head spinning. Writing back with one woman, who I shall call Jane (not her real name) was fascinating. She was, and is, very sharp, engaging, funny and like to read.   She knew I’m a writer, and she knew I was working on a memoir and asked to read some; so I sent her a chapter.         We met for coffee after she’d read it. I asked her what she thought. Her response, firmly welded to fact I grant you, was unexpected. “You do seem to spend a lot of time in the past, Peter.”

My jaw hit the floor and fractured in 13 places. Okay, that’s not true. That’s what it wanted to do. What it did do was move well enough to let me respond with a dazed: “It’s a memoir.” 

“I know, and you spend a lot of time in the past.”

“I thought that’s where you find material for a memoir.”

Oh well, what do I know? Like I said, dating has never been and never will be a streamlined experience. As for my memoir, I’ll still look to the past to get it written. Call it habit.