Dating in my 40s -- Lessons learned

It should really have come as no surprise that dating in my 40s would be vastly different than dating in my teens and even early 20s. But it was.

No one wants to meet in person anymore -- God forbid, you might have to actually talk. You remember talking, you open your mouth and words come out. Sure, they may make absolutely no sense, or they may make you look like a complete ass at first, but they're real words. You can't take them back by hitting delete -- you actually look, gasp!, like a human being. And talking may -- and often does -- lead to conversation, which could lead to laughter, sharing, getting to know the real someone.

So I tried the online dating thing for a while about a year ago, then swore after a series of bad dates that I'd never do it again. That, of course, brought me back to the "no one wants to meet in person anymore," so I again find myself out there in the cyber dating pool.

The good news is I have learned a few things: I've learned to read between the lines and know that if someone lists "tell you later" under occupation, it generally means, "I don't have a job and am looking for someone to support me;" I've learned that people don't always have their bases covered, and "I can get off early and meet you for dinner" actually translates into something that leaves you wandering around Lowe's for an hour and a half (or longer) before you finally give up and go home; and I've learned that if you say you have an "average" body type, more often than not men are going to expect you to look like Barbie, no matter how much you try to tell them you're not.

I've also learned some positive things: I've learned that the more you get out there, the easier it gets; that men are often just as nervous and insecure as we are, ladies; and that, truly, dating in my 40s in a lot of ways is more fun and interesting than it ever was in my teens and 20s.