Dating advice for those getting back into the game

Apr 25, 2012, 8:27 a.m.

Contrary to what you may have heard from others in your boat, senior dating can be all that it's cracked up to be. The trick is to go about it in the right way, with the right intentions and a bit of preparation. While the reality of having to get dating advice after having been "off the market" for an incredibly long period of time is a pain, the nuggets of information you'll glean should help to make your search for romance that much more successful. Here are just a few of the best tips to successful senior dating.

Be sure you're ready. This is something that's much easier said aloud than realized internally. If you've recently lost someone close to you like a spouse or a life partner, think long and hard before you consider dating. Getting involved with someone when you're not ready to could just be your way of dealing with grief, and isn't fair to someone who might get emotionally involved with you.

Have fun with it. If you go into every single date with a do-or-die attitude that you must find your next life partner, you're going to crash and burn every single time. You're also setting yourself up for failure and severe disappointment. Dating for seniors is no different than it is for youngsters under 55. You have to be willing to meet a lot of people before you find the one that's right for you. Try to go into it with the attitude that you're just out to enjoy the company of new and interesting people. If you can accomplish this, you'll turn what can often be a grueling experience into an exciting adventure.

Be a good listener. In this way, senior dating doesn't differ all that much from other echelons of the dating game. If all that you've got to give to someone is an awful lot of stories about how wonderful you are, or how great you used to be at playing ball, or racing cars, or interior design, or closing sales deals, you're probably going to bore some poor soul to death. What's more, you're not going to come across as someone who's really interested in a relationship. This is a good way to chase potential partners away and is a sage bit of dating advice regardless of your age.

Don't pretend to be anything you're not. This is one of the most common mistakes made by people of all ages, and it applies to senior dating just as well. Just be yourself. People will either like you or not. Why pretend when you don't have to?

Remember your age. This also requires you to remember your date's age -- if, that is, such information has been shared between the two parties involved. But we're not talking about making notes of a person's chronological placing on the calendar. We're talking about behaving appropriately and respecting your date's desire to do the same. In other words, don't book a day trip to an amusement park or a skydiving adventure unless you're absolutely positive that the person you're going on a date with is on board with the idea.

Dating for seniors can be a tough and frightening prospect. But if you take some of the above advice to heart and remember to have fun, you might just find some romance along the way.

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