Why in the world did I ever think I wanted to do this?

I did not need a boyfriend. I did not want a boyfriend. I was not looking for a boyfriend.

I had not even been on a ‘date’ since my very last date, which was on September 11, 2011.

For me, it was a disaster; “serious disruption to functioning that exceeds capacity to cope.”

To the 3 loyal people who read what I write, that was the date of my very nearly fatal boat-wreck.

My ‘date’ was driving the boat. I ended up in the ER. Unconscious. The boat sunk. Enough said about that date, both the man and the event. (I do want to let you know that I am nearly fully recovered.)

It is now Sept. 2023. That is 12 years. A dozen years.  I had absolutely no interest in dating. Ever Again.

So, am I dating now? I am not sure what you would call this. Is talking on the phone almost daily considered phone dating?  (My computer just suggested that I put a period here, not a question mark but for me, this is a question, with the larger question being WHY. Why am I even talking to this person)

I have seen him two times in two months. We don’t live in the same state. We live 1234 miles apart.

The night after I met him (an accidental / incidental meeting) he sent me a text asking if we could continue talking. My phone service was not working where I was, so I did not see the text right away.

And honestly, if I had seen it, I am not sure how I would have responded. But eventually, I did see it because I needed his help again on my project (which was why I had ever met him in the first place.)

So here it is. Two months have gone by and sometimes in a day, we will have spent 3 hours talking.

We have things in common that we are interested in. Big things like how to get water to populations that have been affected by disasters, bio-char, carbon credits, growing food more sustainably. Those are just the some of the things we have been talking about.

As our conversations have evolved, we have shared stories of our past, hopes for the future, and events of the day.

He has listened carefully enough to my stories of my kids and grands to remember their names and to ask about them.

I have tried to listen actively too but with all the ‘improvements’ with ear buds, headsets, and all that, sometimes, our conversations have long moments of silence. We will just end with a text that says “Good Night/Sweet Dreams.”

I am rather certain there were things he has said that I did not hear. Without seeing the other person, you certainly lack the nuance of body language. And maybe that is all this really is or was, a sweet dream.