Finding a good prospect

Is it really so hard to find a good prospect? My gut feeling right now is that it would be a lot harder at 41 than it was at 20. But then on the other hand (every cloud has a silver lining) there should be a surplus of men that are coming out of relationships at that age a bit wiser and a bit more willing to bend over backwards for the right girl. At least I hope so, or else all may be lost in my case.

I have spent a lot of time recently thinking about what it is I want in a relationship. The wish list is quite impressive and I sometimes pity the poor bloke who turns up to apply for the position. Not only will my bar be raised a lot higher and my tolerance a lot lower now, he will also have to get past my friend Liljana Marijana, a fierce Yugoslavian lady who has very little tolerance for amorous guys. A full mental health, credit and criminal record check may get them an interview but during their probationary period they will be closely watched. I find it somewhat comforting to have this extra security because heavens above knows that I have been fly paper for freaks in the past and I need all the protection I can get.

My friend Markus Antonius says that women seems to “keep it together better” than men most of the time, especially if they are mothers which he says is because they have to keep track of the kids as well and you can’t afford to lose the plot then. Men on the other hand don’t seem to be able to do that, he says, even when they have to take care of kids. I think it’s his roundabout way of saying that men needs us womenfolk a lot more then we need them. I'm not so sure that it's a comforting thought.