I'm the genesis of this whole thread, so I guess I'd better weigh-in. Been spending some time in waiting rooms at Vanderbilt Children's hospital so I've had some time to spend on these blogs, but this one took some thought.

1. How “difficult/complicated/demanding” are you when a.) dealing with others? b.) when dealing with your significant other? [rate yourself]

I'm easy dealing with others. Downright passive with service folks and flight staff, and such. And I understand that things don't always go the way I like. I don't complain as much as I probably should.

With my significant other(s) and even close family, I'm clueless and uncommunicative. I rarely pick up on how my decisions effect others, and might go months without calling to 'check in', mostly because I'm one of those folks who figures that if you want to talk to me about something, you'll call.

I'm working on parts of this, largely due to an awareness hammered-in by the able, compassionate, brilliant and beautiful Elke. She's only about eight times smarter than me, but actually has a heart and pays attention to personal dynamics, treating other people like actual living, breathing humans with feelings and hope and dreams, and such.

I've learned a lot from my decade-long relationship with her. Or am I just getting better at life as I approach the end? Hard to say, really.

2. Are there certain needs and expectations that you must have in a relationship? If yes, lay them out here. What are those needs?

I want to be able to trust her. It's really important.
I also find that I need someone who's of similar political mindset to me. I couldn't have a long-term relationship with a MAGAt or a fundamentalist. I tried, and it didn't work. She's a great lady but I couldn't respect her, and I learned that respect was waaay more important than I imagined.

I also want her to want to be intimate with me. I've lived too many years without that, and though I own a mirror and understand the issue, I really need that in a relationship, or there isn't one.

3. Conversely, what qualities do you think others expect from you? Do you feel you give those same qualities as well as expect them?

One of the issues I ran into over the years of dating before I got lucky, was that after a year or more in a relationship, the 'ladies of a certain age' with whom I was involved, started using the 'M' word. It happened more than once.

No matter what we agreed upon at the beginning, or how forthright and honest I was (this started at age 49, and lasted until age 53 when I met Elke), that awful word was floated. When I said that I still didn't want to marry ANYONE, the end was nigh. One otherwise wonderful woman told me that she didn't have time for 'just dating', but thought I'd make a great 'retirement husband.'

Oh, we'd talked about pensions and healthcare, and such. We are still FaceBook friends and she married the 'next' guy within a year of our breakup.

Good luck, Angela and DeWayne. Hope you're both happy.

The M word ! Just gimme the seven-tier cake to pack in a suitcase, then see me run like fun. Always keep yer escape rôutes open, is my philosophy...

I actually did feel I'd got to the "settling down stage" a time or three, & wouldha got caught. Thankfully, it passed. However there's no fool like an old fool, so I keep a wary watch on my "settling" urges.

Mitch McConnell on Face The Nation now.
Gives him a chance to show proof of life.
He is supporting Ukraine and Israel ...
his crazy bones still shine bright!

I base my high opinion of myself
on my IQ. I have seen it.
I am smarter than any cat you will ever meet. !

I know someone called Lalla who got the whole 200/200 IQ score. A doddle for her. She is AMAZING! Still gets the usual human probs tho.

1) Maybe a 3-4?
Maybe a 4-5? Of course my significant other may have a different answer! :]

2) Yes. Honesty; respect; kindness; and keeping communication open between us; privacy regarding our marriage and our private life; as few surprises as possible. (Yes I don’t even like good surprises; they stress me out! I always want to know ahead of time what is coming.)

3) Respect; forgiveness if I get something wrong; patience. I always try to treat others with the same expectations. I admit on certain issues I tend to lose my patience sooner then I should at times.

(Yes I don’t even like good surprises; they stress me out! I always want to know ahead of time what is coming.)
You would NEVER survive with me 😉

We have much in common.

Bunny very low maintenance. Doesn’t take much for Bunny to be Bunny. Low maintenance, but wouldn’t want to live with me.

Who wouldn't want to live with you --- yourself, or anyone else.?

Since Mrs. Bunny is still here, there is a least one who will put up with Bunny.

I'm very glad to hear it.

Bunny blushing.

You don't want to live with someone low maintenance?

Low maintenance is fine, but Bunny couldn’t stand to live with another Bunny.
Mrs. Bunny is most low maintenance, but tough enough to put up with Bunny.

There's hare in bunny's genes?

Boo. Phonetic fun appreciated.

We'd expect nothing less from a teacher of English. 😜😊

Heck, I wouldn't have a clue where on the scale to rate myself! I am extremely easy~going & laid~back; as such, I have only one requirement of my dearest beloveds: utter perfection.

As they're often way more amazing than merely perfect, & their rating out of ten would maybe be a million, this poses no problems. (I'm excluding the ones I hurled outa the door, obviously.)

I need at least 30 hours of intense unbridled extreme sex a week. (Probably 60 when I was young.)

I expect someone to go part-time or on the dole if their job interferes with this. (I don't mind supporting them.) If they want to short~change me on this - then fine, it's not obligatory to have a relationship with me!

What else do I expect in a relationship? I expect them to relate...

I haven't a clue what they expect of me. I wish they'd say. (See point above)

I'm a little less demanding of my friends.
If they're rotten bastards, that's qyte interesting.

I need at least 30 hours of extreme sex a week.

With or without "help." (sorry, couldn't resist!) 😜

😀

Who the heck could survive 30 hours of extreme sex a week?

Well, it's easier than running up n down a ladder on the side of a ship with a hundredweight on yer back, 100 hours a week....

And a LOT more fun!

😊

That's practically 20% of the time in one week! Methinks someone is exaggerating. 😜 (wishful thinking)

Gotta be dedicated.
Seeing as some people spend 1/3 of their waking lives preparing grub, eating it n washing up afterwards, is it really that much?
Other people spend 9 hours a day watching telly...
Ah, I just know how I'd rather spend my time!
😂

Might be fun to find out.

Could be deadly.

Could be lively!

LOLing. Hope there's plenty of Vasicine "handy." (more 😜)

''extreme'' sex?

The sort where you get so close you seem to change places in eachothers' bodies / minds, then you make it together through the psychedelic kaleidoscope into infinity - with no drugs needed

Yes, we're all wondering about that.
Attn: SNOWFLAKE

:)))

I'm 70, extreme sex is no longer part of my vocabulary. The rest I will leave to your and sabel's imagination.

Ah, sure you can still manage easy~going, laid~back tantra, even if you're a cripple in a wheelchair, for 100 hours a week if you like!

So, mediocre will do. LOLing.

yeah ok 🙄

hahahahaha

How “difficult/complicated/demanding” are you when a.) dealing with others? b.) when dealing with your significant other? [rate yourself]

I'm about a 2. I was the youngest child and learned to just go along with whatever was happening.

Are there certain needs and expectations that you must have in a relationship? If yes, lay them out here. What are those needs?

I need a person who is trustworthy. I have no tolerance for anything but a completely superficial relationship with someone I can't trust.

Conversely, what qualities do you think others expect from you? Do you feel you give those same qualities as well as expect them?

People would like me to be a bit more attentive. I tend to live off in my own world.

Ouch ~ the double negative in your middle para!

You'll get over it ;-)

😀

GOL

I am definitely a laid-back low maintenance person who makes few demands on others. My last partner was the opposite. That is probably the biggest reason why we are no longer together.

Well my opinion likely differs from my wife's.

I'd say a 1 on the scale.

I'm very easy-going. Calm. Nothing bothers me much.

I create a lot of work for her. I'm innatentive ADD. I don't complete tasks. I'm late for things. Never hear a word she says. Executive functioning skills are not the best.

Unless it's soccer related. Bit obsessed is understated.

Needs? Just get along. Be nice. Smile.
Intelligence helps.
Empathy for others.

I would post something, but this place can't afford me.

*walks off with smug look on face*

We are quite the motley crew. 😁

LOL.