DIRTY THIRTY

A friend of mine turned 30 this week and her theme for the year ‘welcome to the dirty thirty’.

Myself being almost two years into my thirties, I have to say, the thirties are really great. You are old enough to do anything you like. You also have the money and decision making power to do all the things you like AND you do have the maturity to actually NOT do all the things you could be doing.

I think it is pretty amazing. In the job world you can start relaxing. You don’t have to compete all the time and proof that YOU CAN. You have learnt that most of the things take time and a little patience and that they will eventually come right. You have cooled off your initial ‘I will save the world idealism’ but you know where and how you can make a difference around you.

You are able to tell your family when you need your time off but at the same time you appreciate having a family and you accept that nobody is perfect – including your parents.

Ok, I won’t comment on the relationship things because I’m still single and most of my other friends are married. Maybe I can make a comment for a single lady in her thirties; it’s awesome. I can just re-phrase what I said above - 'You are old enough to do anything you like. You can try all the things you would like to AND you do have the maturity to actually NOT do all the things you could be doing.'

Happy Thirties to all of you who are in it! Enjoy it, they won't come back.

Online dating

This is a new thing I got into. I am still on leave and have lately heard some of the ‘success’ stories of people who met others through the internet. Me being such an internet addict anyway, thought to myself – why not? It’s not the first time I thought about it. I think I have created a profile a couple of months back but that was more out of desperation to find someone, now it’s more about exploring a new way of dating.

After a week of getting into it, I think I have gotten a fairly good understanding for myself how it works and what are the limitations but also the advantages. The one awkward thing is that you are almost online shopping for a man. You create your profile and share all these things about yourself mostly by ticking of categories set up by the dating site. Then you do the same for your ‘match’ also again through ticking of categories about things you want the person to have or be like. This then also includes a rating, how important each criteria is to you.

First, I created the profile and ticked all the boxes. Then, I looked out for possible ‘matches’ and that works through the database which spits out who is a ‘match’ for you from a 100% match down to any percentage you can imagine.

I guess everyone does browse through some photos, reads profiles of others and explores how to contact others. I have to say, some of them are hilarious (without being judgmental). It’s really fun to see what people put out there and the courage some people have. I was surprised how many people like just write up a couple of lines basically saying, if you interested, let’s get talking. Most people don’t have the illusion that you will really meet Mrs. or Mr. Right on the site but that it’s just another way of meeting people.

I had one date so far...not spectacular, but ok, however, there won’t be a second one. I will keep you posted on further developments, but I can only encourage, try it out and don’t be scared, most people are actually as normal or as crazy as you and I.

Happy 2011

It has been quite a while since I shared my ‘widsom’ ;-) with all of you but I didn’t know what to write about so I left it. (if there is any topic you would like to read about, you welcome to write something or inspire me for a topic). Anyway, lets see what the year 2011 hold for me and this blog.

Just on the site, for the singles reading this, I read a very interesting book, it’s called ‘Good man hunting’ and it is a fiction novel of a thirty something single woman in Australia and her friends. The author shares their experience of love, life, relationships, loss and wins etc. through short 3 to 6 pager write ups . I wouldn’t give it a literature award but was an easy and relaxing holiday read. The only thing that bugged me from time to time was the fact that the short stories and experiences were so real in terms of real life that it was almost painful reading it. It was like ‘yeah right, this is how life goes and so what is funny and interesting about it? So, life is really how you, me and all the other people experience it every day?’. Anyway, for the ones close to me, you welcome to lend it from me.

Otherwise, 2011 has begun in full swing and here in SA it’s boiling hot and an amazing summer season especially if you are still on holiday. I wish all the women (and men) who read the stories on this blog a great year 2011. I hope you all will be able and happy to enjoy every moment of your life, live life to the fullest and maybe adopt a bit of my new life philosophy ‘Whatever works’ after the same titled Woody Allan movie. ;-).