Page 18 - Anna Doxie first new format

Internet Doubting?

By Donna Hulme

I’m a widow. I have been many phone calls and
for a few years now. I emails, we decided to
guess I am considered get together and have
young for a widow; how- a real “date”. What
ever, I am not incredibly a blast! So, the long
young, seeing how as distance romance
my youngest child is in (LDR) continued.
college. I tell you this, not
for sympathy, but to add a Let me tell you, LDR’s
little context to this situa- are difficult to main-
tion. tain. Tone in email is
often hard to discern.
Shortly after my husband Different time zones
passed away, the planning lead to phone calls at
for my high school reunion the wrong time, social
was underway. I wasn’t functions are often
on the planning commit- attended alone, and
tee, but a good friend was. the physical contact
In fact, I live half a conti- of hugs and kisses
nent away from where I are condensed into
went to high school. This long weekends. Talk
good friend happened about burn out.
18 to mention to others in
the planning group that I Living in suburbia,
was now widowed. And I am surrounded by
so it spread through the married couples,
grapevine, far and wide, which is fine with
amongst our extended me. However, I
network of friends. have noticed mar-
ried couples want
I received a call everyone to be
from a guy I used married. So, well
to sit in front of meaning friends,
not being satisfied
in American Lit. that I am accompa-

class. We were nied only on occa-
always just sion, suggested I
friends, but had a “go online” to find
a local guy.
lot of fun in class. He was always
whispering something to make me laugh This did not appeal to me. Number One, I rather
as the teacher was lecturing. like my high school friend that I am seeing, and
Number Two, I am old enough that I think the
Or, he would flip my long hair with his pencil. When he guy should do the pursuing, I shouldn’t have
signed my yearbook, he included a sticker he had peeled to take out an advertisement to get a date. On
from the back of my chair. In other words, I don’t think he the other hand, most guys my age that I know
aced the class, but we had a lot of fun! are married. The ones in the neighborhood, at

church, at the supermarket, on the freeway. I
As fate would have it, he was recently divorced, living just
a state away, and had heard I was recently widowed. After don’t do bars.
March/April 2008