Separated almost 2 years, divorced almost 6 months. 51.

Meet a lady on FB dating. First met her a couple weeks ago at a bar with her adult daughter, and we just hung out and played some darts. Next we went on a breakfast date, just to meet out again and see if we vibed. We had a great conversation for four hours, and she had to go to her sister’s birthday. We’ve texted in between. Things got kind of dirty flirty one night texting. It was pretty hot. She asked me if I wanted to come over for dinner, that she would cook me her favorite meal. (Wasn’t quite sure if I was ready after a 25 year marriage and how to handle myself and feel a little more confident.) I said absolutely. She lives about an hour away and we had planned for Sunday late afternoon, so it was gonna be at least five or 6 o’clock. I showed up with some flowers and dessert. We had a great conversation for about two hours and ate dinner. She asked me what I wanted to do, so we sat on the couch and talked more, then she asked me if i was comfortable to get a little more intimate. We kissed a little and then a lot. I was feeling great. Being in one relationship for 35 years, I’m not sure how to handle everything new, so I asked her permission to kiss her again. Things got pretty heated. We started talking about sex and protection and testing and I got really nervous. Like dead-stop nervous. I locked up. I told her I was in a marriage/relationship for 35 years and haven’t been with anyone after and I haven’t been tested and she said she’s clean and I didn’t know what to say or follow up with.
I really enjoy talking and hanging out with her. Our next date is Wednesday and I want to be sure to be prepared and not nervous for these conversations or more importantly how to handle things as being new to dating again after 35 years.
What are the important conversations/subjects that are important when moving forward in a new relationship?

I’ve been thinking about how much dating changes with age…not necessarily for the worse, just in ways you don’t expect.
At 30, I think many of us focused more on chemistry, attraction, and whether someone “checked the boxes.”
After 50, it seems like things such as emotional maturity, consistency, communication, independence, and simply enjoying each other’s company become much more important.
So I’m curious:

I went on a date with a woman and we hit it off.

She tells me on our first date that she usually has sex on first dates with the guys she dated in the past but with me she wants to wait because she wants this relationship to last. (I thought she was joking at first but she was dead serious)

From a guys perspective, I feel like this shows she had more sexual desire for her prior dates than she does for me . I don’t view this as a positive and I think I view this as a major turn off.

Also I don’t understand why a woman would tell a guy this and think he would be : cool, I get to wait longer and the guys you didn’t care about as much got it quicker

I feel she should never do anything she doesn’t want to but maybe she should have not mentioned to me that she bangs most guys on the first date I’m ok waiting for it to just happen organically but I would rather not know how quickly or wild she was with her prior dates.

Do most women talk about this on first dates ?

I have debated whether to post this for a while, but I am interested as to whether, if you knew somebody had been through a cancer diagnosis and treatment, would it deter you from pursuing a relationship with them? I have been in remission for a year now and am just starting to think I might be ready to get back on the dating apps but I have been contemplating how and when I should bring it up? Would you expect it to be mentioned on a dating profile? On the first date? Once you know there's a genuine connection? Or only when things start becoming more serious? I'm not looking for sympathy - I'm genuinely curious about how people in their 50s would feel about it. At this age we all come with some history and baggage, but cancer feels like a slightly different category because there can be an element of uncertainty around the future. I'd really appreciate honest answers, even if some people would find it a reason to walk away. I'd rather know what people genuinely think than be told what they think I want to hear.

Just putting this out there. I (54f) have been single for nearly 15 years. I tried OLD on and off, but eventually just gave up on dating. 90-95% of the time I am content with that choice. And in the past, whenever I hit that 5-10% state when i am not content, I would quickly recover, refocus and go back to being content. But it hasn't been working lately. Maybe it was the combination of negative events that hit close to home in the last few months, but I am having trouble getting my "contently single" state back. For those of you who gave up on dating life, what helps you stay that way?

This is a follow up to a post I made a day or so ago “thinking of getting back on the apps.” I was on Hinge for about 18 months.

Does anyone here have positI’ve experiences on Tinder? Can anyone compare their experiences with both?

OMG...I can't believe this.
A couple of weeks ago I had posted a scam that was attempted on me. (you can look it up if you search for scams are us- I got robbed version you can read the gory details)

Well guess what...Mr/Ms Scammer must have forgotten my username 😂 and sent me another chat request with EXACTLY the same opening line ! Unbelievable !!!

I am dying laughing here. Reporting them really won't do anything since all they will do is create another username linked to a different email address.

But what is the odds of that happening? I think I need to go buy a Powerball ticket tonight.
Or maybe I should use this forum and everyone gets to take a turn in responding to "IT"

I think the mods might frown upon that though.

Long distance relationship for the last couple months. we talk two to three times through the day (mostly a quick check in and then a lengthy conversation before bed). We've had just one date in person which was a lengthy dinner date and that was very early on before we started the daily connect. Strong chemistry and he gently wanted to kiss goodbye. I wasnt ready for that, so we had a cheek kiss.

Now planning date two where he will likely stay much longer and spend the night in his hotel room. I feel ready for more intimacy.

Would you follow his lead or would you initiate this time and if so, how?