Dating is starting to look like a lost cause
I’m starting to wonder if my dating standards are delusional, even though I don’t think they’re wild. I know it’s petty to vent about, but it’s gnawing at me. I tell people I’m waiting for marriage, and suddenly it’s, “That’s stupid, sleep around to live a little,” followed by, “Wanna hit my hotel room?” I've told every guy I've dated from the start that I am Christian and waiting for marriage, but they always try to pull weird stunts to pressure me into bed—like, what’s wrong with you? Wanting a lasting, monogamous relationship feels impossible—nobody communicates, and I keep hearing “men aren’t monogamous.” Okay, but self-control’s a thing, right?
At 15, my dad said wait ‘til I’m older and marry a guy in his 40s for a “better” relationship. Great, but I want to grow old with someone, not watch him croak 20 years early. Some dudes expect a virgin wife after racking up a body count, then compare me to their exes and get bored when I don’t measure up. Loyalty’s a ghost—I’ve never cheated, drunk or sober, and I’d rather gag than make out with someone random. Why do guys in solid relationships toss it for a drunken fling if they actually care?
Money’s not my focus—rich or broke, stinginess with time or effort is the real killer. I don’t care if he’s not a millionaire at 20; if he’s driven, I’d support him in whatever he's trying to achieve. I want kids before 26, and I’ve got my career mapped out, but guys my age just say, “I don’t want to be tied down.” Translation: they want to sleep around. I’m not begging some commitment-phobe to date me—that’s a train wreck waiting to happen. I don’t watch porn and want a guy who doesn’t either, not because he’s broken, but because he’s not obsessed with strangers humping on screen.
I’m not budging on my standards, but am I chasing a unicorn that doesn’t exist? Someone tell me straight.