Are You Ready To Take The Plunge

Forget knitting, crochet or golf. Senior Citizens Dating is booming as many of us reach retirement and realise that the golden years are ideal for sharing.

The family is raised - well yes I know they are probably still your babies and may even be living at home (when will they move out?) but in fairness once they hit 30 your job is done. The career ladder has been climbed, the retirement check has been cashed, but you are not yet ready for a life of rocking chairs and bingo.

Dating at any age can be nerve racking. Now we are older, we have, hopefully!, accepted that we aren't Grace Kelly or Rock Hudson. We are generally happy with our appearance although we would make an effort when going on a date. We have achieved most of what we want out of life so are not looking to another person to provide us with a family or stability. Just someone to share precious moments.

But while we may be happy with our lives and feel confident in most areas, it is very rare not to feel nervous when you first contact a senior citizen dating service. What type of service would you prefer to use? You can access senior online dating services, a senior dating group or the personals in your local paper should have a section for seniors.

So how do you prepare for your first senior date? Well to all intents and purposes it is almost like an interview. You need to be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses. Some dating companies will ask you to complete a questionnaire detailing these.

It can be difficult to write a paragraph describing yourself in the best possible light but your best friends could help a lot. Just ask them to give you a list of your best qualities and to put your less attractive personality traits in the most positive language possible. For example, if you have a tendency to talk incessantly - a common complaint among us women, your best friend is not likely to describe you as having verbal diarrhea. Instead they may say you are exuberant or enthusiastic.

I am not suggesting you lie. It is a waste of time although very common. Have you ever looked at the personal ads? Almost every person describes themselves as having a GSOH i.e. a great sense of humour. Only say that if it is true. Your perfect match may not want someone who cracks jokes every five minutes. Be yourself, don't try to be someone else.

Also think about the qualities that you would like your partner to have. Would they be married, divorced, single or widowed? Does their religious or cultural background matter to you? What about their financial status?

Going dating is rather like going shopping. You hope that you will find the perfect match but you should be willing to enjoy the experience regardless. I think we should look, at senior citizens, dating as a way to grab whatever opportunities we have to enjoy our lives as much as possible.