The big label on my head says…

I must have a sign on my head that says, Sucker.

Just recently, at the age of 65, I have finally realised that I am destined forever to be without a partner. So many times I have met seemingly eligible men and it has always turned out to be wrong in so many ways.

I don’t go out looking for male company, it just seems to find me. It is like I have a neon sign on my head that says “come lead me on, I am a sucker, I am gullible”.

Last attempt, just recently, a male contacted me through a dating site. He seemed to be a gentleman, said all the right things. I was close to setting up a meeting. He assured me he was alone, not involved with anyone else, texted me about 20 times a day, telling me all the things a woman likes to hear.

Golly, I thought, maybe my luck has changed.

He was even a different star sign to what I had normally encountered. We chatted about all manner of things and got a long like the proverbial house on fire. He seemed a gentle soul, we liked many of the same things, he did community work, always a good sign I thought. Must have a kind heart I also thought.

Maybe I think too much. Maybe I imagine things are just hunkydory… There are so many maybes.

Time flew by, I was getting keen to meet, he was as well, or so he said.

I thought at least we could be good friends, even if nothing else became of it. Always good to have friends, one can never have too many of them.

I asked a few questions, like, have you met many women online. He answered no.

Assured me I was the only one. Alarms started ringing in my head. The only one!

Where had I heard that before?

Oh yes, the last one, and the one before, as well as the one before that. Surely, I thought, a man could not only have one friend. That didn’t sound right to me. I mean, I have many friends with whom I chat and text. I even go out to social occasions with male friends. I travel all over Australia with a male companion.

I don’t pretend to be the one and only of anyone. It doesn’t mean I sleep with any of my male friends. It doesn’t mean I have sexual relations with them either. I firmly believe in platonic relationships. Platonic relationships are great. I am quite willing to be that one and only though, if I gel with someone special.

Why is it that men always have to pretend. Why can’t they be up front and honest about everything. Why, indeed you may ask. Well, I think it is just because they are men. It seems to be built into their brains to be deceitful.

I know there are exceptions to the rule in anything, so please all you men who read this, do not be offended.

Suffice to say, my latest contact turned out to be sending suggestive messages to a good friend of mine, who incidentally is a happily married woman. She told him she wasn’t interested but he persisted, she had to block him in the end.

When I queried him about this, he told me that she, had contacted him and made suggestions. All I could say was, be careful with whom you chat , you never know who their friends are. And, be honest, there is no need to lie, no one, especially me, likes a liar. I am happy if men have women friends, it shows they are normal.

My friend and I had a bit of a laugh about it and deleted him from our lives.

What has been your most humorous online dating encounter so far? Tell us your stories in the comments below…