Episode 51: The Right Man, Right Now

Episode 51: The Right Man, Right Now

Excerpts from "The Petty Chronicles" every Monday

I’m dating a man I am crazy about who not only knocks my socks off but knocks them into next Tuesday. And he does so every time he steps up to bat.

Not only does this guy know his way around the neighborhood, if you know what I mean, but he’s attentive in other ways as well and intelligent to boot. He listens when I talk. I mean, he really listens. (I’d bet money he could pass the pop-quiz I’m tempted to give at the end of every date: What’s my favorite movie? My favorite color? My favorite way to spend a rainy afternoon?). And as if that isn’t enough, he always pays for dinner, opens my car door first and compliments me in tender ways at unexpected times.

Even though all these attributes are great, the best part is that they come in a single package. Really, hot hardly ever meets sensitive and smart in a one man. Usually, you find yourself wishing that two of the guys you’re dating (or maybe three guys or even four) could morph into one fabulous guy. But do you know how rarely that happens? You have better odds of being hit by a bus while crossing a quiet street on a Sunday morning. In the past this would have made me get possessive and demanding; living in fear that he might just up-and-split at any moment. But for some reason, spending time with him simply makes me happy.

And to really top things off, I have absolutely no expectations of him and have not felt the need to formulate plans for the future, which is very unlike me. So I’ve got to ask: What’s up with that?

Now I know I shouldn’t be questioning this situation. I mean I should just be happy that I’m happy. I am dating a rare commodity: The Right Man, Right Now. But having never been here before, the whole thing kind of freaks me out; I’m happy and enjoying a relationship in the moment. It’s otherworldly!

For God’s sake, where is the old me? The one who fell in love at the drop of a kiss and obsessed about the future of the relationship, every waking hour of my life, that wasn’t consumed by hair and wardrobe choices and eating? I haven’t tried his last name on for size, pictured our future, or wondered if I should wear white the second time around. And I guess that’s because, for the first time in my life, I am not looking for a relationship that’s heading to the altar. Instead, I’m saying “I do!” to the pleasure of his company and the good times we share and that seems to be enough.

It took me a long time to date after my divorce because I had to come back to myself bit by bit. And now I am here to tell you that I am back with a vengeance and a whole new agenda. I have no desire to re-marry and I am happy about that. The first time around, being married changed everything in my life, and not in a good way. But now, all I have to change is the status of my Facebook page, which has gone from “Single” to “In a relationship”. And just for today, I am happy to say, that is all the change I need.

Check out new episodes of The Petty Chronicles every Monday.

Click the following to learn about The Petty Chronicles and its author, Rachel Gladstone