I’m a professional and I work hard at my career. On the weekend, don’t look for me in a smoke-filled bar and don't expect me to find me watching sports on TV. If I had my druthers on Friday I would travel with my love to a lodge on a clear mountain lake. That evening, a gourmet meal, a good bottle of wine and your company is all that is required. Early in the morning we’d be out on the lake gliding across the water in sea kayaks. The physical exertion calming our minds and feeding the exhilaration of our souls. The mountain air and the cool water rejuvenate our spirits. The cries of an eagle above and the tumult of the fish below remind us of the natural beauty we take for granted. We are moved, for the thousandth time, and we renew our resolve to live well. That afternoon we spend some time together swimming. Later, as the light fails, we sit on the porch, drink wine and watch as the waves change the face of the lake. To finish the day, another fine meal, more wine, and perhaps some talk of taking an extra day or two off work. Well, this can’t be every weekend, but I'd like to try. I’m not out on the water every weekend but I like to get outside. I like hike and backpack. I swim and work out with weights. I like to cook, especially Italian food. I enjoy restaurants and movies. I’m open to learning and trying new things. I’m just a normal guy that finds himself available again. I’m an individual, and I’m interested in being part of a couple. I’m emotionally stable and financially responsible and capable of living my own life. I don’t need to be fixed. I believe before you can be a couple you need two whole individuals, secure and confident in themselves and capable of compromise and acceptance. I ‘m looking for a relationship grounded in honesty and communication.

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So much of life is about achieving a balance between competing goals and priorities. My ideal match would believe that an adult relationship requires balancing the needs of your spouse with the other two or three top priorities in your life. Hopefully, your mate’s priorities are compatible with your own, so you are not headed in different directions at the onset. For example, if you strive to hasten your death with two packs of cigarettes a day, perhaps you’re not my ideal mate. My health is a priority, and hopefully my partner will have her health among her top priorities (but again balance is important). Personally, I think your top priorities have to include your health, your career, your spouse, and your own spiritual fulfillment. By spiritual fulfillment I do not mean formal religion, just what stirs your soul. I think your top priorities sometimes have to rotate, because unexpected things happen. With communication, hopefully you and your spouse adjust to the changing priorities, and your spouse is never long absent from the top. If you’re a healthy, active, independent woman, and you think what I’ve written here isn’t pure bovine fecal matter, I’d like to hear from you.