Dating in 2022 is strange and familiar and complicated. The married, be they happy or miserable, offer their best answer for each new frustration. But the simple truth is no one knows what the hell they’re talking about. In the last 12 months I was told my “picker is broken” and “to take risks” and to be “patient.” I feel a bit like a man trying to hang a painting with the help of my friends. Each person shouts something different and directly opposed to the others, “UP! To the Right…No, Lower. Tilt the corner down! It’s not level.”

I think the best I can do is be honest and forward and myself. And the woman who responds to me, as I am, is the one I should ask out for an afternoon together. Given my penchant for complexity, sometimes it pays to remain simple when it comes to women. Do I want to spend more time with this lady? Yes or no? If yes, then ask for that time. If no, move on.

Easy enough…right?