Yes, it's a horrible nightmare and I have given up for now. May try again someday but right now it's too scary for me.

The nightmare is real! While I remain hopeful, I've embraced half of your solution. #newtoy

I find that problem at age 47.

Seems everyone assumes Republican = Religious Right. Not so. I buy all the Republican policies EXCEPT their religious based ones. THAT makes dating hard for me. I live in a county in Illinois that has almost no candidates for county/state offices among the democrats. Between the cornfields, the age, and the lack of religion, dating here is IMPOSSIBLE. I'm finding also that dating on this board isn't easy, either.

I got divorced two years ago after 27 years of mostly happy marriage (my wife's mental illness was eventually too much for all of us). I recently tried online dating as I miss being married. But each date was like an interview and the desperation in the air was just too much. I soon stopped.

My own company seems simpler.

Just had my 13th year wedding anniversary (yesterday). Glad I'm not dating. I've heard the horror stories from people my age who got divorced for this or that trivial reason and are now wishing they had been more patient with their spouse...

In my experience, it’s been pretty good.
Perhaps being a liberal guy in Montana has some advantages
The religious aspect is one that is a bit limiting, but overall I’ve seen lots of ladies that are intelligent, attractive/active and have religious and political views which aren’t out of my comfort zone.

Well I drink Lots of caffeine, so I'm ALLWAYS Vibrating, and it Does seems dating is a Nightmare

I'm mostly with ya Crimson. Add to that having a 13 year old at 54. SMH. I don't date. I am active, outgoing, involved, intelligent, loving, kind, generous, loyal, employed, fun, but over 50, with a wonderful kid, and carrying extra pounds. (Aka baggage in many eyes). Seems like young, slim, and childless trumps it all. Let em go! LOL.
I've got great friends and a Beautiful life!

I am not sure what to do ..

I know what you mean, I'm having the same issue up here in Wisconsin. I hope your nightmare turns into dreams come true.

Lmao

I would expect that older people would be more mature and handle dating much better.

I hear you! It seems that it's difficult to find a new age philosopher that has successfully let go of old age religiosity. The glass is always twice as big as it needs to be. One has not fully rejected religion until it no longer infects a healthy sexual experience.

Funny. I find the same thing; right down to the women wanting younger males. Sigh.

This is the truthiest truth that ever truthed. Not quite fifty (but only a matter of months to go). I find they’re all religious, unemployed or married (and yeah, hard pass on anything resembling potential drama thanks)
Add to that my peculiar preference for interesting and intelligent conversationalist and the well is DRY!
It’s so damn disappointing.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I won't know what dating in my 50's is like for three more years.

That being said, dating in one's 40's is not much different, especially where I live. Fort Wayne, Indiana is a VERY religious (and ergo, a very hypocritical) place. One of its nicknames is The City of Churches. I recently read that the city has more than 1,000 churches, but a population of only 265,000. Staggering!

My struggle as a man is finding someone who:

1. Isn't looking for a sugar daddy
2. Isn't a gold digger
3. Isn't religious
4. Isn't a blind adherent to either party, but especially the Republican party (or worse, a Trump supporter)
5. Doesn't have a lot of emotional baggage
6. Isn't bitter or hateful toward men in general
7. Isn't superficial or materialistically oriented
   8 ) Is well educated, or at least of above average intelligence
8. Is an a naturally caring, kind, and decent person
9. Is comfortable with her femininity
10. Is confident about her body and sexuality
11. Has similar interests
12. Is at least somewhat physically attractive

I'll be 47 on Wednesday. The closest I have managed so far is to find a woman who lives 450 miles away who seems to be mostly compatible. My chances of finding what I am looking for within 100 miles of where I live is about as slim as it gets without being zero.

I feel ya.

I might be too young for your taste, but i won't mind a 50 y/o woman like you ?

I'd be willing to bet many here are liberal, as am I. But I'm Canadian.....

Age is no bar for dating, because only our body is subjected to ageing process and not our mind or desires.

Hahaha! Yes, I’d second everything you said. Even decades ago, my sister and I decided all the good guys were either gay or married.

I never did do well with dating, anyway — never quite knew why, but it may have had to do with not knowing how to flirt — or how to notice or respond to someone else’s flirt. And right now, this is the closest I’ve come to putting myself out there in years. I don’t know how to date. Even when I was younger, I apparently just attracted guys who wanted someone else to earn a paycheck and raise the kids they already had. And absolutely the “nurse with a purse” is a huge issue.

Wish I had a cure, but all I can say is that I totally understand. And yes, a vibrator really CAN be your best friend.

I'd date you? I'm a kind gentleman & scholar

LMAO....yeah, the religious/trump/smoker thing got me...or going through aendkess tedious conversations without hearing the voice inflection or seeing facial features with the online thing. Still patience pays off and I have added friends..so there is that.

I think you can date to seek a lifelong companion or you can date just to have fun. If your focus is on having fun, you don't have to worry so much about what they're like. If you're looking for a lifelong companion, there's a lot of pressure on finding someone who's a good fit. In the course of dating to have fun, there's always the chance that you might stumble across someone who you could get serious with.

Either way, a good vibrator always comes in handy.

You have me laughing out loud here reading your post. Do you know the song '' Don't sit under the Apple tree ''. ? they're either too young or too old, either too gray or too grassy green, the best are in the Army, the rest will never harm me, they are either too fast or too fast asleep, '''' and so on. I used to sing it during WW2 when it was popular. So did The Andrew Sisters