okay.
lets set the record straight. I was once all passion as a young man fresh out of college. I first married a young lady in high school. I tried sending her to college and she dropped all the classes and joined a choir. i next married a blue collar and was with her over 20 years. she often complained that she wanted a larger home. in the meantime she ran up thousands of dollars in credit cards she can hardly pay living above her means. at the rip old age of 51 i can no longer afford to look for just love. i want love as much as anyone. ihope to find both love and a professional that i can enjoy the latter part of life left in the security that can come from having a professional skill. is that too much to ask for and be derrided about? give me a break. life is hard enough learning the hard way of doing things. i can only hope for a secure future.

I agree with OP to the extent that while love is a wonderful thing, you can't live on it. You can't retire on it. It doesn't pay the mortgage. You have to be responsible as well as cute and charming. Because, let's face it - if one person in the relationship is a professional, and the other is a fly by night free spirit, who is financing the whole thing? It's not fair.

now that is contrary. You know that is why there are prenups now, strictly for that reason. very sad.

why should I pay someone else's way? I worked really really hard to get where I am. Why should someone else try to reap the benefit and not have to contribute?

Should people never consider the realities of life? Life is expensive. You can't stick your head in the sand and pretend that everything is free because you are in love.

then the same can be said of children. If love is a burden, and not worth sacrafice then it is not love

I sacrificed my entire life for my child -so she would not have to grow up on welfare when her dad abandoned us. I lived in my sister's basement and went to school to get my degree so that my child would not grow up in poverty like I did. Please don't presume that you know more than I do about sacrifices.

It would be great to find someone who paid the price to improve
themselves and their life by becoming that nurse or teacher, or even doctor or lawyer, of the opposite sex. Race does not matter to me. Decent, intelligent, someones that are taking care of themselves physically, mentally, and financially who just have not been able to find that special chemistry in professional people of their space and time.

From one art teacher in Dallas that cares.

I didn't have the luxury of staying at home with my child, so I can't really comment except to say that she surely had a tough job and has much to be proud of.

No,not everyone aspires to be a professional, and that is fine. But I thought we were talking about people we like to date or have a relationship with. I prefer someone who has the same values as I do. I don't think that is so unusual, and that is what OP is apparently looking for. Someone who shares his values. I never said that everyone has to share them - just that I am more attracted to people who do. I never said one profession was more important than the rest. Again, this is not about status or anyone being more important than anyone else. It is about being with someone who shares a common struggle.

OMG. I am going to pretend I didn't just read this bullsh*t. I am a corporate business woman but would change that in a second to stay away from this mindset.

DUDE.

This is wrong. So wrong.

Passion has everything to do with LIVING life. How boring life must be with you. And feeling-less.

I would live my life over again in an instant and have every bit of the feeling I have now.

This is scary. Really shallow and scary. D*mn.

now you have a problem and I am done discussing this, or any other matter with you. You have no idea my background chick, and I am not going to let this escalate into attitudes being thrown around. Hav a great night

lets not forget the taking care of oneself along with pro skills. now that i help take care of a family member who ignored his health, even though he was a professional, he had a severe stroke at 56 and now must rely on others to survive. he partied the last 30 thirty years and now, well it is sad.there is not one old girlfriend that will help him. what love?
a lot of well meaning professionals ignore the data and live in denial about living with obesity. pleasingly plump is understandable to come with age, but outright obesity is a conditional disease that dissuades and repel otherwise interested parties from pairing up with the abundant crowds of big woman that feed into the billion dollar diet industry and dating sites.
no offense please to those that fit the bill. my own family has it share like America on whole of obese well meaning citizens.

Rob - please. I said NOTHING about you. I am trying to explain myself without being judged. You said I am not willing to sacrifice. You know nothint about my background, either. I did not say one bad word about you, Rob, because I have no bad feelings about you.

Hiker I have no ill towards you, but this is obviously something you feel very strongly about. I just don't wish for it to develope into something it doesn't have to be. I like you, and I respect your opinion however wrong I feel that it is. I don't want to lose my chating partner . Ok, one last thing. He threw out a lot of variables, and what if's, and that is fine. The world is full of every one of these questions, everyday. There is nothing guaranteed in this world, and you can what if your life to death if you want. I could really care less your qualifications ofr a mate, it affects me none in the least. I just feel you are cheating yourself out of a potentially happy life with your requirements. Money means **** to me, and if I lost everything I have tomorrow I would survive. When one is willing to trade love for security they will wind up with neither. Happy trails cowpokes, and hope you have a great evening, or what is left anyway

Thanks. Just some hard lessons along the way that had me re-evaluate what is important to me.
It looks like it might be up for re-evaluation again. Nothing seems to stay static in this life. At least it doesn't in mine.

Having hard and fast rules for myself and those around me? Has never really worked.

Dave has the respect of many. He's a solid guy w/his head on straight, yet living with his heart as well