It’s time to get back into the dating scene, whether it’s a result of the death of a spouse/partner or other types of separation. You have been through the gambit, and you know how dating works so it’s time to show the youngsters that you still know how to have a good time.
However…where and how do you start?
Furthermore, how are you supposed to date other people during a pandemic in which states are telling you to stay home and away from others?
Good news, there’s ways around it.
Remember, you’re just “starting” the dating process again so you have some time before physical connection becomes apparent in your new relationships.
Below is a list of ideas for how seniors can still enjoy dating each other during isolation:
• Get familiar with online video chats: If you are nervous about operating a video chat on the computer, have no fear. Even the tech-savvy younger generations still blow it on occasion. Start looking into how to participate in a video chat using apps such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, Google Duo, FaceTime, etc. Most of these video chat services are free and relatively user-friendly.
Once you’ve gotten comfortable with an app, arrange a date. Have fun with it! Dress up, get a trim, and pull out those night-out clothes. Show your date your best self, even though your meeting may not be in person. Come prepped with questions you would like to ask your date and be prepared to answer a few in return.
• Go back to the letter writing: Writing love letters has become a lost art that the younger generations have sadly missed out on due to the ever-growing technological advances in communication. Pull out your pen and paper and write a letter regularly during a blossoming relationship. Many people find great joy in getting personal letters in the mail amongst all of the boring bills and junk mail.
• Make those phone calls: If video chat is not your thing, make routine phone calls to someone you are in the beginning stages of courtship. Since isolation buys many of us a lot of time, sitting down and having a lengthy discussion over the phone with someone new can be refreshing and make those long days pass by faster.
• Date through the window: You can still meet with someone in person! The general guidelines for isolation is to maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet apart, which definitely puts you and your date in the same verbal vicinity.
On a nice warm day, arrange a date through the window. Your date could remain in their home while you pull up a comfy chair and sit and chat through their open window. You can also still meet in public, less busy places such as a park as long as you maintain a safe distance.
• Group dates: Arrange a group date on your front lawn or in a park where each person brings their own chair. If hearing impairment is an issue, bring those hearing aids, microphones, or even cellphones to amplify your conversation.
Don’t worry. Have fun with what you can do, establish those healthy and endearing relationships at safe distances, and those next intimate steps will be waiting for you just around the corner.
