Gramma does Dating… or Maybe NOT.

In this age, there are a higher percentage of the population who call themselves (or someone else calls them) seniors.  In this age group, dating can open a new and frightening endeavor.

Dating in the 50’s and 60’s was much different than dating today. In those days, you found a person at a party, church, class, or group who looked appealing. You said to yourself, “Self, that is a person I may want to get to know.”  So, you found a way to mosey over and introduce yourself, had your best friend help with the introduction process, or made eye contact across the room and did your best flirting move.
We had all kinds of ideas about how to open the door to love and relationships.

Magazines published a plethora of information on how to meet the perfect someone, get him/her to notice you, and live happily ever after.  After you met the person (literally in person), you then began the activity of getting to know what this person was all about. Dating meant the guy showed up for the gal and took her out.  This meant he paid for the outing, and she looked as good as possible on his arm. Getting to know someone involved learning the following: what songs you like, what foods you eat, what interests you in a way of life work, which church you attend, how do you smell, how do you talk, how you look me in the eye or not, how you dress, your treatment of others, and most of all, if you like me.

Today we get to know the person on paper. By “paper,” I mean the internet: Match.com, Yahoo.com, Friendfinder.com, EHarmony.com, and on and on and on. Those of us who dated in the 50’s and 60’s can be a little overwhelmed with this new way of getting to know someone.  First, you will need to know enough, or know someone who does, about a computer so you can put up a profile. You will need to decide just what you want (or do not want) to reveal about yourself. You must remember: of course the people you will be meeting will also decide what not to include. You find a nice picture, describe your loved activities, and list your attributes as a date. Then, the fun begins.
So, this Gramma decided to do just that. This is her story.

It was exciting to see all the men in my age group. Whoopee! This was much better than searching through months of parties, meetings, classes, etc. I could just click and date. I began to get responses and messages. They loved my picture, shared similar interests, or they shared something fabulous about themselves. I had men from all the way on the other side of the country telling me I was wonderful. Even one man from the other side of the world admired my physical self. Wow, what a heady experience this was beginning to be. As a Gramma, I liked this admiration.