I literally asked my wife to marry me on the first date and she said yes. Getting right to the point is a woman after my own heart. Neither of us have ever dated before or, naturally, since.
We’ve been together for ten years.
We are also on the spectrum so that may have been a factor.
Yeah that was a major factor
Why marriage? Can’t you just start living together first?
Asking someone to marry you on the first is just stupid. Many things could not work out and marriage is a big thing. Imagine spending time and money and then find out that you are not fit together. Then you live a miserable life or fill for a divorce.
We did–After we agreed to get married, because we were quite sure, but at the same time we didn’t want to impose such a stark change right away in case the change would exceed one’s ability to cope with change which could lead to panic, meltdowns, etc. Neither of us handle change very well. We didn’t actually get married immediately of course. She packed up a pod and moved in next. It was months before.
We also talked about having kids right away. Not having them right away! But we talked about it immediately, I think like five minutes in, because isn’t it important to know?
As a counterpoint: nothing in life is without risk. I’ve seen friends take it slow and end up divorced, too.
I think that I rather get to know someone better though 😅
My wife and I started living together after 3 months, talking marriage at 6, and formally engaged at 9 months. We’ve been married over 6 years now.
I don’t have time for high school nonsense. I’m not going to burn 1+ years of my life on a “maybe”. The older I get, the better I learn what I want and don’t want.
We both had similar goals, or rather, goals that we could grow in together and not go separate ways. We had a shared sense of humor. My weaknesses were her strengths and vice versa. And we have activities we love doing together and things we love doing alone. It’s fucking great.
A major advantage of dating when you’re closer to 30 is that, for most people, you’re finally secure enough in your own identity to where you worry less about whether they like you and more about whether you like them.
If I had stopped to ask myself the latter question at 22, I would have saved myself the raging dumpster fire that was my first marriage because the answer was a resounding “No.” My first wife was a horrible person with very little to like. But back then I didn’t like “me” very much and I guess on some level I was afraid that no one else would either. Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary.
A: “Hey, remember me?”
B: “Oh yeah, we used to date. You single now?”
A: “Yeah. You too?”
B: “Yeah. Wanna give it a shot?”
A: “Hmm… OK.”
As I near 50 my plan if I ever have to date again is just to wear a pin with my age and “single” on it and if anyone wants to know more they can ask.
The problem with modern dating: you have to get a smell of them to find out if you’re compatible or not. Any metric available online is only going to do way more to fuck up your chances than anything. If you want to find someone based on shared passions it’s more than easy enough to just find them through going out there and being yourself. Easier said than done with alienation being at an all time high…
My problem is all my passions are things I do at home by myself.
