Dhahahahahahaisia wrote:
The younger you are, the more time you should spend in the dating phase. Don't get married before you turn 28-30 in any event. Ages 28-32 were the best dating years of my life. You're mature, you hopefully have a stable career and the means to enjoy yourself, you are a prime target for women aged 22-35, and you'll be dating them at a time in their life where they are eager to find a long or longer term mate and will give you more as a result. You should also spend some time cultivating an attitude of gentle indifference. Women will like you more if they have to work at getting you to like them.
Something like this. College and early post college dating didn't go so well but did date a fair number but no LTR and it usually ended badly with either or both parties smarting. That's life. Maybe left a few what ifs and actually missed out on many opportunities, just didn't know how to read 'em well back then.
Anyway, at a night club featuring a national-regional act. Mid 20s.
Had two tickets, my friend couldn't go at the last minute, got turned down for a pseudodate with a colleague, but eventually talked another friend into going. Had no intention of meeting anyone that night. In fact I was on a semi-quest for monkdom after a year of dating and relationships that did not go anywhere. Lo! We walked in, my friend bumped into some of his friends of his--a couple XC runners and their friends. One of the XC runners showed an immediate interest and we've been together for decades.