Feast or famine...right now it's famine like a mug

My life pretty much consists of work, work, work, classes, hanging out with the girls, spending time with fam...I have a pretty full plate in front of me. But my romantic life is virtually nonexistent. I have absolutely no dating prospects. I have one friend I would date, but the timing is bad. He has lots of potential but he has the mindset of a teenage boy and I'm not digging that. For that reason he remains in the friend zone.

Lack of romance usually doesn't affect me much. I appreciate my solitude, I'm happy with my life and with who I am. I also feel that I'm much better off alone rather than dating some of the guys who cross my path. Seriously, most of them aren't worth a damn. Over the past few years I have encountered very few quality men.

It's not as if I'm one of those diva chicks who has unrealistically high standards and therefore no man is worth being in her presence. My only materialistic qualifications are that a guy should have a job, a car, and be ambitious and well groomed. To me, it's more important that the guy I date treats me with respect, is generous and open minded, fun, easy to talk to, and can fuck the shit out of me and make me scream for Jesus. Most other things are negotiable.

It's so surprising to me how many men there are out there who act like it is impossible to treat a woman with respect (see here, here, here, and here too...damn! Just read the archives.) Respect is one quality that is absolutely non-negotiable. If a man can't respect me then we shouldn't see each other. I think that's why I have no dating prospects. When someone doesn't respect me, I show him the door. I do give them the chance to redeem themselves, but I only give so many chances to come correct. I'm not going to continually let someone treat me bad.

I have to admit that much of my dating drought is self-imposed. It's not as if I don't meet people. I meet men all the time. It's just that most of the ones I meet aren't right for me. Often times they aren't even people I would want to be friends with. I don't want a man just to have one. I want to be with someone who is right for me.

I'm sure the right person for me is out there. I guess right now I'm coming to terms with the fact that I'm becoming ready to settle down, but most of the men in my age group aren't. I don't dwell on the fact that I'm single. I don't feel sorry for myself. I'm happy with my life. It would just be nice to have someone to share things with. I'm a woman, it's perfectly normal for me to feel this way.

An upside to not dating anyone is that it allows me to heal and dispose of the excess baggage left behind from past relationships. I haven't had a real relationship in over two years, but dammit some of the people I've dated since then have created some serious emotional baggage. But I've learned a lot, and I'll be emotionally ready for Mr. Right when I meet him.