Scores of men across the nation are folding up their tents and quitting the dating game.
They are going home to Bachelorville. They are resigned to a lifetime of single, solo, solitary-man- time. (Strains from the Sound of Music, So Long, Farewell in the background)
Stranger in a Strange Land?
Talk to men - the will tell you. A veritable Greek Chorus has said they are victims of excruciating divorces or years of a disappointing dating scene. Candidly, they say being 50+, suddenly single and dating again isn’t easy. No, it’s not like riding a bike. Many guys lament that courtship is just too complicated and foreign; they are having a hard time getting a leg up.
Jerry K, 57, said he could have earned a second degree given all the Stanford Bachelor parties he has attended, over the decades. He admits his research and development used to be fun, now futile. The playground rules have changed. It's more teeter-totter and less swing. He hangs out with his men's group.
Could Have Been a Contender
San Francisco writer, Trevor D. said, “I used to be a '10'. Back in the day, I was on the fast track; I had a fast car, cool friends, got married and woke up single, 25 years later”. No longer a '10', Trevor tumbled off that pedestal years ago, he is now "free- lancing, 20 pounds heavier, hair vanishing, and a grandfather. The hot red sports car morphed into a historic station wagon." He says his recent dating experiences have been like being stuck in the revolving door at the St Francis Hotel; going in circles and going nowhere. No longer a fixture at the Clock Bar, he spends more time at book readings, movies and ‘free’ events. He also still does a mean "Good Bye" by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
What Do the Girls Say?
The single Yoga Babes weighed in to say most were initially daunted, then exhilarated, by being single and dating again. Others blindsided by a classic divorce debacle - throw in the towel. Some recover and renew energies and get a new lease on life. There are a million stories in the dated city. The Exodus may be in biblical proportions in some cities and San Francisco- a world-class city – with a very large, vibrant, single and 50 population has to be the exception, right? Don't go- the party is just beginning.
Remember: "Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes '
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