I have been single again for over 6 years and am ready to find the companion I will spend the rest of my life with. Some qualities I bring to this relationship are honesty, intellect, humor, loyalty, common sense, being down to earth, confidence in myself, hopefulness, and being an extrovert with a bit of a shy edge at times. I enjoy stimulating conversation but can also hold my own in the silly and goofy category.

My life has taught me at least two things: 1.) Honor, integrity, and self-respect are paramount to happiness, and 2.) Character building lessons are rarely easy or fun.

About the Partner I Seek

I'd like to find a relationship built on honesty, trust, and respect. A man who loves to laugh and is secure enough to laugh at himself. A partner who isn't too macho to admit when he's wrong and is strong enough to say he's sorry when he's hurt me.

The partner I'm looking for will be patient and caring, flexible and easy going, will want a peaceful and simple existence (toys are nice but not all that impressive to me), will understand my need for personal space and respect my need to be alone at times. He'll also appreciate my sincerity in wanting him to have time of his own, whether it is in his man-cave or spending time with his friends.

He will accept that I am not perfect and I have my limitations, quirks, and habits, and he will not try to change me. In fact, he will also have those of his own and know that I will not try to change him. He will value the uniqueness we each bring to our relationship.

He will understand that as we each continue to grow personally, our relationship will become stronger with encouragement and support from each other. He will allow me the level of independence I need in order to be truly happy, but he will know when to offer help because he knows it is hard for me to ask for this. He will also understand that the help I most often need is a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on. He will (and this is important here) know that I do not want him to fix my problems for me, but that I benefit from his thoughts and ideas.

He will admire my ability to be resilient, but will also respect my boundaries. He'll appreciate the value of my empathy and compassion as I help us overcome the obstacles life sometimes places in our paths. He will trust me to be his confidante and his best friend, and he will know he is safe to tell me what is in his heart. He will know that I see his vulnerability as a strength.

He'll show me, in his own way, that he cares for me and thinks about me. He will know that I do not need him, but that I want him. He will feel confident in my decision to make a commitment to him, but also appreciate that successful committed relationships don't always follow the path of tradition. He will work with me to create the relationship that works best for us.

Chemistry and attraction are important but they come in many packages. Initial attraction plays a part; the companion I seek will believe as I believe that attraction and feelings grow over time and that these two things create the chemistry between us. The relationship I seek will grow and become better over time.

To me, romance can be found in many places, can be demonstrated in many ways, and always exists when two people can look into each others eyes and smile. Holding hands never goes out of style and a hug has the amazing ability to turn a bad day into a good day.

If you're a nice man looking for a nice woman, let me know. I think we're looking for each other.

One Side Note

While I currently live in the Midwest, I would like to move to a warmer climate. I have a family obligation to an aging parent right now, but will soon be mobile. I'm hoping to find my life's companion who will relocate with me or who already lives in a southern state. I believe my match is out there somewhere and geographical distance is manageable to me for a short time.

**********************************************************************************

Borrowed Words, But Meaningful To Me:

"One measure of a great relationship is how well 2 people can do absolutely nothing together."

"It's about creating a great relationship together."

"Life is an adventure to live and not a problem to solve."

"Compatibility doesn't require us to be the same."

I prefer a "first meeting" over a first date. Something casual such as a coffee house. We can linger as long as we want or we can make it brief if we just don't feel it's working out.

This whole dating thing remains a little perplexing to me. Casual and laid back on a first meeting, where we can relax and be ourselves, is what I prefer.