See People for Who They Are, Not What you Imagine!!

Well, the question has been as finally asked as to why I have avoided, up to this point, the whole idea of on-line dating. A quick survey of my pictures reveal an adventurous man who is willing to fight the rapids of the San Antonio Riverwalk, do a Mexican Hat Dance at Hooters and pay his respects to fallen at the Alamo. After all, If I am all the things that I claim to be in my profile, what more would a woman want! After all, my friends have visited sites that I could not even imagine that cater to all whims, desires and walks of life.

There is the standard Match.com, which has become the epitome of the pick-up world for some of my friends; there is the eharmony, which I did try, but for some reasons was soundly rejected by all the women who looked at my profile; the not so subtle millionaire match and sugardaddy.com(guaranteed that these women who want to meet for your personality only); we have black on white; white on Asian; Asian on Latino; Native American on Columbus Day Holiday lover; Muslim on infidel, Catholics on guilt ridden; and Christian on any non-believer because they are going to hell and who wants to spend an eternity with just one person. Seriously, the list is endless.

What I have found fascinating is the amount of people who, a) are willing to join as a friend once they catch on to the profile being tongue in cheek and b) willing to share some serious thoughts and concerns with such a dapper guy. I though it was always quite the challenge to enter a dark booth with a total stranger on the other side, as you revealed all the fun you may have had in the thirty years between confessions( Had I known it only took a couple hail Mary's and on our Father to absolve a confession that could be reduced down to I haven't stolen or killed anyone, but pretty much violated all the other 8, I would have waited another ten years). But to trust a total stranger on the Internet is an absolute leap of faith. Why are some willing to do so?

As I embarked on this mission to find myself and meet new people, one of the tools I was given by Mdme. M. was to learn how to trust the voice inside of me. You know it well, the one that says get the hell out of his apartment now, leave her or she will make your life miserable, or please don't wake up until I find my underwear. That voice, the one that we have all ignored. Would it no be amazing that everyone we met we did so through a conversation first. The mind's eye could ignore that which the real eye's can't and we would stop those first impressions within nanoseconds of meeting another. That is what makes life and relationships difficult for the majority of us. We are not in our minds, "perfect." We have our perceived blemishes and beat ourselves up about our "physical faults." We are not good enough, smart enough and attractive enough.

As life has steps in and re-directs our energy into other directions, tonight I have for the first time realized that I see people like I never have before. There have been two women in my life recently that I began to believe may have actually had the potential to love me for me and not what I could do for them. In the past, it was my job or the perception of where material life would potentially lead that attracted people to me. At least three women in my past were not shy about using me to enhance their "status." While my friends implored me to walk away, my inner lack of confidence and self worth told me that I was lucky to be with them and I became involved in bad relationships, the last of which has left me in economic ruin. What the real world took from me financially, the universe gave me in abundance the love of two children that will carry me for the rest of my life. I recently celebrated another birthday, surrounded with the richness of friends and family, but once again without the love of a special person in my life(Come to think of it, have never had this).

What has changed in my life for the better is how I see people in such a different way. The most recent person who I must let got was a beautiful woman. I have been repeatedly told about her outer beauty, but I was not able to get past the person I saw inside. Like the one other who quickly entered and exited my life, for the first time I saw people for who they are. Now when I see the my ex's I see the anger, frustration and hatred they carry inside for life and how it has wronged them. At work, I see people that I have known for years and see the most intrinsic beauty in the smiles of people i took for granted for way too long. In my best friends I see the love for one they allowed into their close knit group and have felt the care and protectiveness one would normally reserve for blood relatives(Had to explain what a Dementor was the other night, not so good). There is my friend who carries alot of pain from his past, those that i have met that are a little too self centered, and others who are just trying to get by day to day.

Evidently there are people out there who see a lot more of me in my writings and have looked beyond the dollar store paper sack with the sly smile and perfect hair wave. As my latest attempt at a relationship falters, for now, I can only hope that when all is balanced in her life, she will know I will always be there to listen to her and hold her hand. Beyond her exterior, there is a decent person who does need to be isolated. Which is what I had started to do until my true friends pulled me out for one of my best birthdays ever.

So, let's take a step back and try to appreciate and see people for who they really are, don't try to rescue people but be there for them and help them heal themselves, and look for the beauty in every person, even one with an adorable permanent marker smile,

So Sez Sax...