Mr. Shady # 48

I’ve been on a few hikes lately. It’s one of my favorite past times. Most summers I am out there conquering a new peak or exploring a new lake or waterfall, at least a few times a week. Each climb is difficult and I’ve brought this up before. These days I’m a little out of shape from my recent worldly wanderings but I’m getting back into my groove. While I have compared dating and life to that of climbing a mountain in the past, it occurred to me further that it’s not just about the climbs and the descents. Metaphorically speaking, this year has been filled with an abundance of peaks and valleys for me, but with each climb, I always like to sit a little at the top and contemplate life and reevaluate. It’s a beautiful, peaceful place, free of distraction where I can think clearly and come up with solutions to most of my problems. Dating and life in general, is no different. How many times this year have you heard me say, “I just need a little break?” Too many I’m sure. I realized today that it is because I have been through some pretty difficult climbs. Each one requires a little resting/regrouping time. So, I don’t mean to complain, because I am so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and for the many interesting people I’ve met.

When I hike, though it’s hard, each climb makes me a little stronger and a little more prepared for the next. I build up endurance and am soon able to increase the difficulty and length of my hikes, allowing me to see hidden treasures that I never would have had access to in the past. As I look back on my year so far, I know that in my dating life I’ve had some tough climbs, at least for me, but I feel like as I look back on what I have conquered, I have learned SO much, I am stronger, I have a better sense of who I am and what I want, and even though I take short resting periods, I refuse give up and to be denied what I KNOW lies ahead. I love hiking. I love being in the mountains…even when it’s hard. I love life and being a part of it, not standing on the outside looking in. So, after a couple of weeks of contemplation and regrouping, I think I am ready to give it my best effort again. After slowing down for a couple of weeks, I finally had another date Friday night. This Mr. Shady and I had been talking since I got home from Europe. Actually we texted a little when I got home and then I didn’t hear from him in weeks. I was happy enough to move on. Last week however, he decided to contact me again. We talked on the phone a couple of times and set up the date. He decided on dessert and Bruges and Frites Belgian Waffles. I had been there once before with the first pilot so I knew it was good. We decided to try the Sugarhouse location. I was a little late thanks to the disappearances of my map on my iphone when I updated but I finally made it. Dessert was delicious…I took his recommendation. We chatted about the usual things. His life has been kind of interesting so it was fun to hear about. After we finished he asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I always love a good walk so we went. It was kind of chilly out so I was pretty cold at first but I warmed up a little after some walking. While we were out I found out that he likes to read interesting books which made me happy. I’m kind of a nerd like that I guess but I was pretty excited about the Physics book he is reading. Reading wins guys some serious points for me! It always makes for interesting conversation. Eventually as we walked, we found ourselves heading toward this super sketchy park. He told me that it was kind of scary and that he was pretty sure that there were some drug deals going down over there. He said we’d just walk until we got to it, and then turn around. I wasn’t too scared because I had this big guy with me. We walked into the park though and no one else was really around. It was dark…except for the lights, but kind of scary. As we got further in, I realized that I shouldn’t be so trusting! I was with a stranger basically. I started imagining all the things that could and do go wrong from online dating and I was like, “What are you doing?!” That was the voice inside my head by the way. Sure he had a slight limp from his recent hip surgery but that could have totally been made up! I finally asked if we could turn around because I was REALLY scared. He laughed a little that I had actually gotten scared (I didn’t tell him why) but turned immediately around. Thankfully he was a really nice guy and I don’t think his intentions were to kill or rape me that night. Still…you have to be careful and I haven’t been careful enough lately at all. I’ve been pretty stupid a lot of times and I am grateful that nothing horrible has happened. I can see how it does though. He walked me back to my car and we said goodbye. It was a nice night but I doubt we will go out again. I wasn’t really attracted to him and there is just something about him that I think I don’t really connect with…despite his kindness and intelligence. I haven’t heard from him so I’m not really counting on anything happening there. I met some new friends this week, I partied with some old friends, and I spent time with family. It’s been a good week. As I move forward I am just going to keep reminding myself of the old saying, “Let go and let God.”