I was really glad to read the post from Spudgun. I was getting discouraged reading most comments here, that the grief of losing one's partner goes on for many years. My husband died only 8 weeks ago, and I still burst out crying over so many small things. I assumed it would take me a year to get over the deep grief, but reading most of these posts made me think there might be no end to it, especially at my age. That someone is searching for a female companion after two years cheered me exceedingly! I certainly hope he finds her!

[meetup.com]

Lend me a paddle. I think we're in the same boat.

Well, Zeke, I will level with you. As a single, atheist, woman residing in Boise, I don't give a single shit about religion. My dealbreaker would be political. I am a "liberal hack" in a very conservative town. I am not a gun nut, but, make no mistake, if you walk into my house with intent to do harm, I can shoot you & I will shoot to kill. I am an American, after all. I believe in The Constitution, all of it, not just one part. I think trump is not just a bad President, he is a bad human being. So, what do ya think?

Thanks for the suggestions. However, right off the bat, I can see that I should have been more specific. At the moment, I'm in the Idaho Chariots car club, on the Board of Directors of Black's Creek Range, I belong to the Idaho Automoatic Weapons Collector's Association, I volunteer at Simply Cats once a week, plus helping out there when they need something extra. I'm busy enough that sometimes it's hard to fit all of it into one day. And I'm not discontent. I like being me. I'm also working on setting up basic pistol classes, but that's still in the early stages (I've been a marksmanship instructor for 37 years and done classes before) of putting that together.

There isn't anywhere else I want to live, so relocation isn't an option.

I'm 75 years old. Cathy and I were together for 25 years. That means that I was on my own for 50 years. I've been single a lot more than I was married. So it's not like I'm not used to it. But there is a difference now. When I was younger and single, I dated a lot of women, but that was in Los Angeles, and no, there is no way on earth I'd move back to California now. The single women i find now are mostly looking to get married, plus they're not agnostics or atheists. Or they're liberals. I'm a pretty staunch conservative. Beginning to see the problem?

And I'm not necessarily looking to get married again. I'd just like somebody to hang out with now and then, or go places with. I like to travel, and have done a lot of it in my 75 years. There used to be an Agnostics group in Boise. I've spent a lot of time trying to find them. Even logged on to their website and went to the restaurant they used to meet in. Operative words USED TO. The folks at the restaurant said that they hadn't been there for six months. But it's still on their website. So it seems that they've either dissolved or gave up on social events. I've sent them messages and not gotten any answer.

So I suppose that there really isn't a good answer so far. Maybe there isn't one at all. Sometimes life is like that. I'll keep on nosing around. One thing I've found out over the years is that you never know what tomorrow will bring. That leaves possibilities (however slim) open.

I'm going to suggest something a little out of the box.

Rather than frame it as a problem of finding a compatible woman, frame it a problem of discontent without a woman.

Solving that will paradoxically make you more attractive to most women, and far choosier in a good way, that will do you and any eventual partner justice.

There is really no reason why a person cannot have a fulfilling, rewarding, enjoyable life flying "solo". Sure there are downsides to it -- just as there are downsides to married life. But these days I advise people to deal with the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) before they start the project of finding a new spouse.

That's not to say it can never work out, but I gotta say ... here I am, 63, married thrice (one divorce, and then widowed) and if I were at loose ends again I'd want to do some no-compromises travel, and build a life for myself on the assumption I'd walk to the clearing at the end of the path alone. I suspect they might be both the loneliest AND best years of my life, because for 44 years now I've always been someone's husband, father, employer ... I think there are aspects of myself I haven't explored or experienced in all these years. I'd spend some time focusing on that.

And then if an opportunity presents itself for a wonderful relationship along the way, fine; if not fine. But at my age things get harder rather than easier. There's more illness, more chance for more bereavement, less sex, less patience ... it's kind of a long list. So it even seems pragmatic to me to figure out life without that extra cruft, because at some point you're maybe going to need to, anyway.

My $0.02 for what it's worth. If you're a guy who just doesn't know what to do with himself without a woman, figure that out first.

A lot of us are in the same fix. Short of relocating as Redhead said below, there's nothing.

You may have to be open to relocating. I’m in the same boat here in Texas, although I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m surrounded by buybull thumpers so doubt even if I was looking, I highly doubt I would find another Atheist.