Good to hear everyone's experiences. I've had maybe three relationships I felt meh about, utterly unchallenged and bored. But I went for it because it was easy. But then...inevitably, the frustration and resentment kicked in. Not a good idea.
On a lighter note--I had coffee with a new girl, and I think we like each other a lot. I met her at the coffee place a few days before after randomly striking up a conversation, but I had things to do, so I decided to ask her out cold and up front. Turns out that cold and up front is effective. So we got coffee. Aaaand we'll see each other again.
She's a young 'un, compared to me. Maybe 21 but probably 22. I'm 29. Gotta do some math but I think that's OK. I kinda prefer it, actually, truth be told. My previous relationship was with a girl 3 years older, and she was in a hurry to start a family ASAP. So, any pitfalls to be aware of with dating somewhat younger? I don't want to be a manipulator, and I've heard that saying things like "You're mature for your age" are highly manipulative.
I got divorced when I was 45, and pretty quickly I drew the line at 30, and it wasn't about maturity, it was just about compatability. You're probably fine with 29 and 22, but at a certain point your experiences and exposures color your world view. You can only have the conversation so many times: "Wow, you look like Susanna Hoffs!" "Who?" "Susanna Hoffs!" "Who?" "Lead singer for The Bangles." "Who?" "The Bangles. Manic Monday. Walk Like An Egyptian." "Who?" Okay, so what music do you like? "Oh, Lady Gaga. She is so original, there has never been anyone like her ever". "Madonna." "Who?"
I shit you not, the Susanna Hoffs conversation happened to me (it was a bartender, not a potential date, but still). To each their own, but for me, while I like hearing new things, and experiencing new points of view, there has to be SOME touch point, some commonality. Age, especially with the advent of social media and technology, is a factor in that. Also for me, I have a kid, so that factored in too. If I was going to remarry, the person I was with would have to be a stepmom.
Then again, one of my ex-wife's friends married a guy 25 years older than her and for the most part they had a successful loving relationship. She stepped out once or twice, but he was pragmatic about it (oddly, she pre-deceased him, go figure.)