Staying Fit
Wouldn't it be fantastic if your next first date were also your last first date? I can't promise that, but I can tell you what is reasonable to expect from your first person-to-person encounter with someone you've met online:
1. Expect to be on edge
A first date evokes a junior high school dance: nervous people trying to look cool. But watch out for those jitters — they can make you feel so anxious that you project your own hopes on to this new person, rather than noticing his or her true nature. So be open and honest. Ask questions about the issues that matter most to you. And listen — carefully — to the answers.
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2. Expect to feel 13 again
On a date not too long ago, I worried I'd been hit by lightning. My pulse soared. My thumping heart nearly burst through my chest. I felt dizzy. I couldn't form a coherent sentence. All in all it was not too different from being back in 7th grade again, summoning the gumption to ask Nancy Morris to dance for the very first time. If similar symptoms beset you on a first date, don't panic — take them as a positive sign!
3. Expect to trust first impressions
It's nonsense that you need several dates to determine the viability of a new relationship. That view discounts the possibility of magic — an undeniable resonance that a man and woman feel for each other, often right from the start. So trust your instincts; they'll tell you, on the spot, whether the other person lights you up or not.
4. On the other hand, expect you may need to be patient
Daters who are 50 and older tend to be less impulsive — and that's a good thing. By now we've collected enough life experience to know better than to fall for the first person we meet. We understand what works for us and what doesn't. We believe that it's still possible to find a fulfilling relationship — as long as we're willing to wait for the right person to come along.
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