I used to have a dog (border collie mix) and a cat that would wrestle. The cat would reach up and grab the dog around her neck and the dog would roll around, lifting the cat into the air. That same cat would wait under a cedar tree when it was raining while I walked the dog so she could stay dry but still "participate" and I once witnessed her chasing a rabbit in the yard. She ran after the rabbit, then stopped and sat down & waited for it to start running again. Then she would chase a short ways, then sit again. I swear that rabbit knew it was a game. Amazing to watch.
great topic ! brought back some fun memories

Prolly woulda worked for you, Goof. but this guy didn't even have the decency to wear an eye patch to the first date~some pirate ! Although he may have offered to show me his wooden leg................oops. Nope, different guy.

Thanks, Artgurl. I was laughing about it even as it happened, so it's all good. I always think to myself "this will make great material for my novel"

Oh, it's so hard to chose which of the many stories I could tell......how about the self-proclaimed pirate who announced that he intended to "board me" ? or did he say he intended to "come aboard" (groan)? Either way,I think I've blocked the memory.

Navygirl:
If I haven't said it before, you're my hero ! Score one for the little gal. Somebody was pushing you around and you stood up to them and they backed down. Well played. I do want to believe that all those guys in the cars were just empowering you to be the brave woman you are & triumph over adversity, all the while monitoring the situation and deciding that if it escalated to something worse than him backing down when you yelled at him, they were gonna get your back.

Goof: You can DO it!
Original Poster: You can too ! But my advice is listen to the Goofster and take some time off for introspection. I took a year and learned a lot about myself and about what i did and didn't want in a future partner.

It's coming. Relax. Sit Back......Wait for it!

Wow! Looks like I tuned back in at the right time. Congrats & Best Wishes!

I'll bet some mud-rasslin would cheer ya up, Mr Oop

Hey there Teadipper!
Just my own personal opinion and experience here-I would say yes....I find I am energized by people who are positive and grateful and I find I am drained by those who are negative or feel entitled. If I have too many of the latter and not enough of the former hanging around, I get sucked into the void myself.

But..... I have also seen people change through a conscious effort & become much more positive, but that required an awareness on their part to start. Have you tried communicating to this person that you think they are awesome, and you care about them immensely, but there is this one thing that concerns you? It is really their welfare you are concerned about, don't you agree? Is any good served by being negative? It doesn't mean they can or will change, but if it is a matter of them not knowing how they come across to other people, they might be able to have a breakthrough.

Sometimes you just have to change your attitude, and then the world becomes a better place, and pretty soon you don't have to try so hard to see it that way.

Bwahk, Bwaaaaaaaaahk.....Chickin!

That's very big of you.

Welcome ! Good luck with your search !

I'm NOT a dwarf ! I'm just vertically challenged.

Shoot! Five dollars? Heck, that taint hardly worth even taking my shoes off fer. I might ruin my pedy-cure. Twenty dollars and your can of Skoal afore I'll even consider it.

There do seem to be a lot of women (and an equal number of men) who want somebody they think their friends would admire them for having. But everybody knows (right?) that a gemstone doesn't come out of the earth as a sparkling beauty, but that beauty is hidden beneath, just waiting to be brought out and appreciated as its facets are discovered. The gemstone expert sees what lies beneath and has the patience to get to know it and treat in such a way as to maximize that.

For that matter, the same friends who we were worried about judging us will either be happier for (or far more jealous of us) if we find someone who makes us truly happy. That is the rare thing! As opposed to the "perfect" (looks, job,etc.)guy or gal, we should be looking for the one who is perfect for us individually (i.e. makes us happy). There has to be an initial attraction, but for me, at least, usually the rest will follow.

Do you think this "shopping" mentality prevalent with online dating plays into this situation? With so many choices, why bother to really get to know someone? Is the mentality to move on to the next "ad" hoping that maybe that next person will meet all your criteria?

Did you get any takers? What's the prize iffin I whup ya?

Cooked a really nice dinner for a friend who will be moving to San Diego shortly for a new job. Bittersweet because I'll be losing his companionship on a more regular basis, but I have the promise of a couch to crash on when i need to visit my beloved Pacific Ocean. Plus, I hadn't cooked a "real" meal for anybody in awhile and it felt good to see that I haven't lost those skills.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.(Nietzsche) It sucks to be strong sometimes.(me)

I need this skill. Let's try