Free Advice: On Finding Love - Part Four

Every now and then, I reflect on myself as that single woman in her thirties, looking for love. Knowing what I know now, my advice to her would go something like this...

"Hey! Lighten up a little!"

Yes, it's true. When it came to finding love I was a tad too serious. Little did I know that a lot of (normal) guys kinda like lighthearted, fun, self-confident women. Who knew?

Picture this... you spend a decade looking for Mr./Ms. Right. You worry about how you look, what you say, if you eat  too much, if you laugh too loudly or dance like a duck. Mr./Ms. Right doesn't make an appearance. Sounds like you could have had a lot more fun in that decade, don't you think?

When I was about thirty-five, I was going out to meet a girlfriend at a local sports bar. I didn't really want to go. The place was known for hosting a younger crowd and I was feeling particularly old but on  'Oprah' that day, she had a guest who advised... "When you enter into an uncomfortable situation - walk in and smile as if you are a member of the personal welcoming committee". Yeah, right.  Well I thought about it some and decided that I could muster up a 'smirk' if absolutely necessary.

Later that evening, I walked into 'Stan's Blue Note', my head held high, shoulders back, and grinning like a nutcase. Then, out of the blue, a guy approached me and invited me to join he and his friends for a beer while I waited for my girlfriend (who never did show up). Did I meet Mr. Right? No. But I did meet a great group of people, one who continues to be a great friend, today.

So I guess the moral to this story is... while on the hunt for Mr./Ms. Right...have fun.