Your Dog Needs Walking
A story about Dating in your 50s
My neighborhood is full of animals- dogs, cats, birds, squirrels, foxes and other animals. When speaking of other animals, the two legged dears come to mind. Of course, I mean the single ladies in my neighborhood and town, which includes the various chicks, kittens, tiger moms, cougars and birds. Not the hyenas, killer whales, naked mole rats or elephants, however.
My dog needs regular exercise and needs to literally, physically be walked. But as a man that is navigating this single life, it is a fun metaphor for putting yourself out there and being seen.
- “Excuse me Ma’am, your dog needs walking.”
You’ll catch the meaning of that later.
Maybe her house needs repairs. I can fix anything. I’m handy around the neighborhood for the ladies that need a handyman’s services. I mean that literally, not just metaphorically.
About Me
I’m Fredrick, a 51 year old Marketing Manager from Virginia, who is relatively new to the single dating scene. I’m not new to relationships, however and can read people pretty well.
After my 20 year marriage ended without much fanfare about 5 years ago, I set out to try to find happiness. I guess relative means five years, but that is really a small percentage of time compared to my age… I put myself out there.
I waited a significant amount of time to find myself in order to fully understand the new environment that I found myself within- that of dating in your 50s.
I’m a normal guy, average height, average looks, average build, but I’m charming and assertive enough to garner the interests of women. I blossomed later in life, and use what works for me, and that is my personality and my physical abilities. I can do just about anything I set my mind to. I’m also a good cook and can offer gourmet meals at about any time. It works for me.
I know that I can be a little too energetic and enthusiastic for some people, but a lot of women are just happy that someone is reaching out to them and showing them some attention. I would ultimately like to find a new wife who compliments my life.
My First Real Prospect
I recently met Teresa on the way to the dog park near my house. She has a Bull Mastiff that is bigger than her and it was pulling her around the streets. I of course said, “Ma’am your dog needs walking, not the other way around.” Fortunately she laughed. I offered to give her a hand and she happily obliged. I traded her my lab for her pet.
Teresa is a small, yet surprisingly strong lady in her late 40s, with short brown hair, a cute smile and sexy glasses that make her look like the girl next door. Unfortunately, she is not my neighbor.
I asked her out and took her to a nice restaurant for our first date.
I picked her up and drove over to the restaurant. She looked beautiful in a skin tight top and jeans. We had a great conversation and talked a little about family and her ex-husband. She didn’t dwell on it fortunately, but I was curious why she was single.
She had been single for about two years and still had use of the family house in the neighborhood next to mine. I then asked her how she ended up with a dog she couldn’t handle. She laughed and said that she normally just lets it in the backyard but her gate on her fence was broken, which was letting the dog out. She was getting ready to sell the house in order to settle the estate.
I heard fix the fence and she was moving soon.
I liked her attitude, and the conversation flowed well. We had a good night of talking and a little harmless flirting. I took her home and we decided to go out again in a few days.
The Follow-on Date
I asked out to go see a live band at an outdoors festival on Saturday. She agreed and said that it was a good idea and said, “I wanted to see you move anyway.” I laughed and told her, “I saw your moves, when that dog pulled you around town.” And, “you saw mine when I moved in to help you out”
We had a great time. We drank a little beer, at some bad food and danced to the music for hours. She was great company and I was happy that we shared the day together. I had to go home and nurse the sunburn I got for being in the sun all day. I wanted to see her again, and told her so.
We agreed to see each other again, but hadn’t specified a day to do it. I was really happy I had met her.
The Start to a Relationship
She called me mid-week and told me about the dog dragging her around some more, and complained about her fence. I asked if she needed someone to fix that fence and she asked if that person was me, and if I could do it right away. I told her I was free tomorrow after work, so we made it a date. She cooked dinner as I fixed the gate.
She made a great Chicken Piccata that melted in your mouth, it was so tender. I had not told her I was also a gourmet chef, but she had done some ground work and already knew. She said that she had to impress me. She had asked around about me, and one of her friends, as I later found out, I had dated once before. So she knew that I liked to cook and was worried I would be a critic.
I was pleased that she tried to impress me, and to me this spoke volumes. I was really thinking about whether this woman would fit into my life and me into hers. I wanted to keep it light for now, but I was thinking that it could be a possibility long term.
We ended up dating for about two months before she ultimately sold her house and moved to Phoenix, AZ. The house sale went very quickly and it sold in 2 days after hitting the market. She had 30 days to pack up everything and get out. I helped her pack her house and let her stay with me until her final move.
She found a new job and wanted to completely start a new life, which I completely understood.
We have stayed in touch with each other to this day, and may rekindle the relationship at some point in the future. I’m actually hopeful that we can work something out in the future.
My Future
I have remained positive and continue to date other women, but have a small candle burning for Teresa.
I have met some really great women, and I now evaluate their long term potential from the onset. My picker is pretty good, and I have been successful at meeting some of the great ladies out there. From all walks of life. I have dated from 30 years old to 55 years old.
As I walk my journey, I am sorting out what I want for my future. Like to extend an invitation to my family or just look for long term companionship.
I’ve learned a few things along the way such as, to not bond over your baggage. I met women who were going through the loss of their partners, through divorce or other.
Bonding over ex-relationship woes is a problem, especially as you or they work through their issue and put it behind them, when this happens, what do you have left? If you bond over the kids, yours or theirs, you may run the risk similar to married relationship that don’t have anything to talk about once they leave the nest.
Bonding over walking the dog or striking up conversations with lines like, your dog needs walking, seems to have some run potential.
Hopefully, I will write a follow up in the future, and let you know what happens.
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