8 Scary Things About Being Older and Single - Rich Santos

As I continue my long journey of singleness , I'm encouraged by the legions of other singles who glorify theirindependence. Some of us are even wearing a ring to celebrate our singleness though hopefully no one mistakes itfor a wedding band. We are like a secret society, having clandestine singles-only gatherings and even a genre of bars named after us. You've heard of "singles bars" but never: - Just Married Bars - Not Quite Sure What We Are Bars - Friends with Benefits Bars - I Hate Them, but I'm in Too Deep Bars
It's great to have bars named after my status, but with each passing day of singleness, as I get older, it gets a little scarier. Here's why:
I'm Not as Open Minded
I started to get close-minded right around the time I was suddenly unable to sleep in random places, requiring abed when traveling or staying with large groups of people. I'm so over the dating scene , and seasoned, that I'msure I know a girl's entire story/type before I actually meet her. As I get older, I become more of a creature ofhabit, and I now habitually go for the same type. I used to hang out with more types, instead of assuming and filtering women out. Also see:
Dating after 40
Let love happen: Falling in love
Why I love large men
18 sexiest places in the world
Society Hates Me
Last time I made the mistake of bringing a female friend home (and keep in mind this was a female friend thateveryone knew I was not dating), my mom hijacked her with her plan to have a crab bake in the backyard for mywedding . Goodness. I don't even have a girlfriend! Many people ask me why I'm still single. It doesn't bother me: Iwon't mind turning into one of those eccentric harcore New Yorkers like Seinfeld 's Kramer. But the longer I staysingle, the longer I seem to be bucking the trends of society.
I Get Rusty
Now that I go longer between dates, and give fewer people a chance, my habits and "go-to" moves are rusty. Icould go on dates just to stay sharp , but that's not fair to either of us. There are fine points of dating thatchange with time that must be monitored closely. For example, I ask girls for advice about whether I should call ortext to meet up for a first date. I get: "Definitely call -- it shows you're serious about it." Or "Text, be casual." If I had an established dating method that remained sharp, I probably wouldn't run into these quandaries.
My Wing Men Are Disappearing
It's always fun, and more comfortable, having a group (or I should say pack ) of my buddies to hit the bars with. Itgives me more confidence. But my single-guy friends are slowly disappearing to girlfriends, married life ...and babies.
I'm Feeling the Pressure
I've had such bad luck in the past, and I rarely find anyone I'm attracted to. Fewer opportunities means morepressure when there's a rare chance after I actually meet someone interesting. Pressure throws off my game a bitand makes things uncomfortable.
I Can't Party Like I Used To
These days, I get drunk pretty fast, and my desire for late-night food is getting earlier and earlier in the evening.Then there are the nights I'm too tired to do anything but stay in and read Wikipedia, and check out HistoryChannel documentaries. And, when I do make it out, I'm often with couples who call it a night before I'm ready to.
I'm Getting Uglier While the Girls Remain Hot
By now I think I have a double chin -- well, maybe I'm just imagining it. These days I spend time looking in themirror, monitoring the progress of developing ugly features , like that double chin. Combine this with the fact that Icontinue to hit on younger girls in that just-out-of-college age range, and you have a total mismatch: a getting-uglier old (but not wealthy) guy hitting on a consistently cute population.
My Pop Culture References Are Dated
My buddy and I considered being Crockett and Tubbs from Miami Vice for Halloween. But then we thought: "If weare hitting on younger girls all night, are they even going to know what Miami Vice is?"