Practical strategies to cope with being alone?

[Tammy]

Thank you for not walking away UL. And I can’t believe the others would have!

[catherine]

Thank you for not walking away UL. And I can’t believe the others would have!

Yes, I agree!! UL did you ever find out what happened, or what the story was?

[SteveinMN]

I was walking with a group of 5 of us downtown to the restaurant. We walked past the main bus station and there was a baby in a stroller. There was a man standing next to the stroller, looking into it, talking to the baby. I looked into this man's eyes and I knew he was crazy -- demented or mentally ill -- whatever you want to say. He was unstable and unhinged. As we walked past him he pointed into the stroller, looked at my coworkers and I, and shouted: "He will eat your heart!!!"

So my suspicions about this madman were confirmed in this one statement.

I don't know if this man knew the baby or was a stranger or where the mom was.

Where was the mom (or dad FTM)? I find that almost as disturbing as the crazy guy.

[Teacher Terry]

I can’t believe your friends were going to walk away. Thanks for helping the baby. I saved a young girl from a man 34 years ago and never forgot it. Thanks

[bae]

Well, yick.

I've recently gone out on casual coffee/lunch/hiking dates with 4 different people who had reached out to me.

Three of them were quite reasonable folks, we had a good time. One of them could clearly "work out", in the sense of having a decent friend to hang out with and do mutually interesting things.

However, today's person, who I've known for 5-6 years casually, opened in the first 5 minutes of having coffee with such casual homophobia, transphobia, and body-shaming that, well, there was no second cup of coffee. Well, at least I got the house all spiffed up anyways.

But seriously, who leads with that sort of thing?

[Ultralight]

Well, yick.

I've recently gone out on casual coffee/lunch/hiking dates with 4 different people who had reached out to me.

Three of them were quite reasonable folks, we had a good time.

Today's person, who I've known for 5-6 years casually, opened in the first 5 minutes of having coffee with such casual homophobia, transphobia, and body-shaming that, well, there was no second cup of coffee. Well, at least I got the house all spiffed up anyways.

But seriously, who leads with that sort of thing?

Dude. You will continue to be surprised by how people conduct themselves on dates. I have some wacky-as-all-hell stories.

[bae]

Dude. You will continue to be surprised by how people conduct themselves on dates. I have some wacky-as-all-hell stories.

Give me some help here, this is all new to me!

(Damn, I'm glad I didn't give this one the full tour of the house, some of the books on some of the bookshelves would have stroked her out...)

[Ultralight]

I have had a woman tell me how "amazing" her vagina is within the first five minutes of a date.

I have had women ask me some incredibly personal questions way, way too early.

I also have had a woman -- who was white -- explain to me why she thought it was fine to use the word n-gger any time she wanted.

[Ultralight]

Give me some help here, this is all new to me!

(Damn, I'm glad I didn't give this one the full tour of the house, some of the books on some of the bookshelves would have stroked her out...)

Do you meet up at public places like parks for a walk or cafes for a beverage? Even a lunch is a good "preliminary" date, though slightly more costly.

I would be nervous to bring women to my apartment so quickly. But I tend to be very cautious.

You are also in the "Adventure" stage of dating. haha
So it might get irreverent!

[bae]

Do you meet up at public places like parks for a walk or cafes for a beverage? ...

I would be nervous to bring women to my apartment so quickly. But I tend to be very cautious.

Well, these are all folks I've known for years, many of whom have been up to the house for dinner before in different contexts. Locations so far have been: my place, their place, cafe in town, local park for dogs/hiking.

It's not strange randos from some web site. But today's person totally surprised me.