Bikers, Bullets, and Babes

I think I have found a calling. It's a bit of a take off on "The Girlfriends Guide" series of books. "The Little Sister's Guide to Online Dating." After 20 years in marketing and public relations, I've learned a little along the way. In my short time in online dating, I have started a story budget for a self-help book for men in the world looking for love online.

Possible chapter titles/subjects...
"THAT'S the Photo You're Using? Seriously?"  Some of these dear men are only missing the lines behind their heads and the little plaque with their arrest number on it. Definitely not wink-worthy.

"You Had Me At the Proper Use of Your/You're; To/Too; Their/They're/There" Too many of these grammar gaffes and I will dismiss you a hacker from Mumbai.

"Are Those Girls Really Your Daughters?" uhm...yeah.

Men in my age range (40-55) tend to fall into three categories: bikers, bullets, and babes.

There are a lot of bikers - real ones and wannabes. Tats, leather, do rags, black tees and jeans, bald with goatees. Harley riders and they are proud of their bikes. Some even post photos of bikes they WISH they had. There are also bikers who are actually cyclists and looking for their triathlon partner... "most recently, I biked up Pikes Peak in January, off road..."

Bullets. Photos of men holding up dead things they have hunted and killed. Favorite color? Camo. Or they have giant fish they have caught. I swear this is Modern Anthropology:101.

And babes... this subject goes with photos. I'm just not sure what a photo with a 50 year old man in the midst of a gaggle of Hooters Girls does for your sex appeal. These girls get PAID to have their photo taken with you, it's not necessarily because they find you attractive... sorry. This cross-references with the chapter title, "Are Those Girls Really Your Daughters?" Middle age men in photos with co-eds with the caption, "my daughters" is really rather jaw-dropping.

For the real men, the good men, there are photos in my age range of men with their families, photos with their adult children, and grandchildren, which is very sweet.

My dear late stepdad used to say that I was always trying to find the good in any situation, "Doone, you're the kid digging through a pile of horse manure on Christmas morning saying, "I know there's a pony under here somewhere!"

True... always looking for the half full glass, the silver lining, the bright side... and the truth is, there are good men putting themselves out there online. Scary old world it is, and having a friend and partner to face it with somehow makes the glass half full again. Yes, Virginia, there are good men out there who happen to be looking, too.