I Need A Business Plan

Yesterday I had two intersections to contend with and several good options. My friend Mike made a great recommendation on a back road route to the Wind River Mountains where I'd could hike on endless paths through pristine wilderness filled with lakes and 13,000 ft. peaks. How could I go wrong with that? Perfect!

I bid farewell to the Aspen area as I rolled down hill from Snowmass Village. The first intersection was easy. Take a left and drive North. Forty minutes later I arrived in Glenwood Springs and was once again faced with another left or right decision. I took pause and walked around town for awhile.
 
Backpacking in the Wind Rivers sounded like a great idea but for some reason I just wasn't feeling it. I struggled with sensibility, intuition, and the riddle of should. Seize the opportunity in the moment before it slips away. Isn't that the right thing to do? I was wrestling with an internal struggle. After wasting time for an hour or so I made a decision.

With Denver only a 3 hour drive to the East I chose to head back to the Front Range for a couple of days. Although it felt like the right thing to do I can't say it made all that much sense. However, I think I know what's going on.

I could go into long winded philosophical rambles of why I'm currently drifting along like a confused Sadhu in the middle of the ocean on bamboo raft with a bag of coconuts and no rudder. However, I'd just be going in circles which I'm already very good at. Intersections in life are one thing but the roundabouts really throw me sometimes. Simply put, I'm tired of doing everything on my own.

As I near the age of 47 I know for sure that I don't want to spend the rest of my life in the confines of singleness. I've spent more than enough time solo reflecting on life like a Tibetan Monk holed up in a cave chanting “Om Mani Padme Hum” year after year. I'm tired of the desert so to speak and I have no desire to live in cave. I'm not fond of bats.

Right now I feel if I were with the right woman, who shared similar interests as myself, we would probably be on some adventure more fulling than what I've already accomplished. The idea of hiking into the wilderness for X amount of days, by myself, seems like a lonely proposition at the moment.

The next time someone tells me, “Oh you will find someone when your ready”, “It will happen when you least expect it”, or, any number of pithy cliches I will likely respond, “Bullshit!” Excuse me, but I think I have the right to be a little cynical at this point in my life.

Some people luck into a Hollywood moment and it all works out but I'd say counting on a “cliche” is like betting on a long shot. For those who get married, statistically, there's only a 25% chance of really being happy. Half get divorced. Of the half who stay married only half will claim to be content and fulfilled. With those kind of odds I pretty much think a person is better off pursuing a compatible mate like a project. The kicker is that one has to be totally honest and discerning. Although I definitely feel there needs to be an element of chemistry I don't put much faith in cupid, fireworks in the afternoon, or the excitement of moving too fast.

Aside of having common interests and goals I think the most important thing is that each person simply like being around each other through the unexciting day to day ups and downs, ins and outs, of life. In my opinion most enter a relationship with priorities out of order and la la dreams with an idealistic picture in their head of how things will be. I think if you wake up in the morning on a ho hum day and ask yourself, “Is my life better with or with out this person”, and its clear your better off with them, then your probably doing pretty good.

Nobody is perfect. Everyone has issues. We all have our ups and downs. You can't change anyone. 50/50 doesn't work it's gotta be 100/100. The wrong woman can destroy a man but the right woman can make man (Vice/Versa). Your a thousand times better alone than with the wrong person but life can be infinitely better with the right person...... I believe these are a few truths gained through experience or by observing many others relationships.

Undoubtedly my unorthodox traveling lifestyle coupled with the fact that I have often relished in the freedom of singleness has made finding a compatible mate very difficult. I've put too much faith into the random and more than likely caste a blind eye to opportunities along the way while chasing some self oriented goal. So, how should I start to remedy the issue? Having worked for a start up company I think I have a good idea as to how to go about it.

First I need a business plan. The thing I'm marketing is who I am. The target market is who I'm trying to attract. What is it I want and definitely don't want? Where is my target market? Maybe Nunavik isn't the place. Not good odds there. Advertising could be in the form of online dating sites which seem to be frequented by just about anyone who is single these days. Networking would include social events. Once a potential partner is found the next step might be a focus group. This could be as simple as introducing the candidate to friends but friends MUST provide honest feedback otherwise the study is flawed.

I do think the process is a different for men and women. Women simply need to get out and circulate. Men are expected to make the first move. Most of the time the man only has one chance so a guy has to take initiative. Often times it can feel a little awkward. Almost always the woman will give off an aire of disinterest which may or may not mean she is interested. At the end of the day it's all a lot of work and can be a bit confusing at times but a man must persist like a neanderthal with a club of charm. Everyone says they don't want to play games but in the beginning everyone is playing a game to one degree or another.

For someone my age I can honestly say I'm packing light. No kids, never married and financially responsible. Relationships for me have been followed by long segments of singleness. I've never been one to search for a band aide right after a breakup. I've always had women friends and have the wisdom to know that as a man I will never understand the ways of woman. I don't think all women are crazy but some people are definitely nutz. I'm a good person and live what I consider to be an interesting life. If a women really wants to meet a nice good guy, well, I believe I'm one of them. I'm not one for senseless drama and needless conflict.

So, to sum it all up, I'm a Libra. A big fan of Tex Mex food. My favorite color is blue. I like long walks on the beach. The sound of waves blocks the ringing in my ears. I don't own a TV.