Looking for better love: I'm a sweet, energetic man looking for a deep love

Hamilton Spectator

21-07-2025

Name:
Bob
Gender:
Male
Age:
68
Looking for:
A long-term monogamous relationship with a woman.
A former IT consultant, this is my third year of retirement and I'm digging the freedom. I've got two kids in their late thirties plus a couple of grandkids that I adore spending time with. I'm fun-loving and like to joke around; I tend to see and vocalize the irony in just about every situation.
I'm a talker who unwinds by having a good conversation. I live alone and can spend the day working on my computer or doing things around the house, so at some point during the day, I like to get out and see people. I love to spend my time socializing: meeting and making new friends, spending time with old ones. I love hearing and trading stories of life, where people came from, how they got to be who they are. I also love to help people, whether it's neighbours or friends, or volunteering at my boat club.
Since 2020, I have been to, Mexico, small places on the west coast, the Caribbean, and Turkey, plus Greece three times, with a group trip to the Mayan coast thrown in. I love to go to out-of-the-way places where you get to know people and the real culture.
I'm into dancing and live music, whether it's Reservoir Lounge, Drums and Flats, Cameron House, The Rex, Castro's, Drom Taberna, Handlebar … I play volleyball, too, and I love to walk. I also currently sail in Toronto at least three times a week. Sailing can be a social sport. It's not really safe to go out alone, though many people do, so I prefer a group that gets along and works as a team.
Better Love
— part of the Star's
Toronto the Better
project — is a yearlong personal ad series that connects Torontonians looking for love and offers an alternative to our swiping habit. Singles pen honest, vulnerable descriptions of what and who they're looking for, in a throwback to (photo-free) personal ads of yore. These essays will appear regularly in the Star, and interested parties can email
[e-mail]
to connect.
Read more Better Love essays here
.
I like to keep busy. I can sit down and read a book, but why would I want to when there are so many opportunities to be in the moment? I'll have plenty of time to escape into a book or movie when I'm older or on a cold winter's day. (I've been in an all-male book club since 2003, regardless; even if I have not read many of the books, I do try to attend the meetings!) It doesn't matter if I'm working around the house, doing things at my cottage, helping out fellow sailors at the boat club: if I'm learning something, I'm going to be enjoying the experience.
What I think makes me unique is that fact that I don't just dream about stuff: I like to do stuff. I'm one of the first people with my hand up if something interesting comes along. I truly believe that you get out of something what you put into it. If you are willing to put effort into something, it will pay off, even if it's not always in the way you thought.
My first real dating experience ended in a marriage that lasted almost 30 years. After our divorce, my next dating experience turned into five years. I've been single for five years, but I'm trying to date a bit more now.
I'm an old dog always willing to learn new tricks! I'm financially independent and can take care of myself; I don't need anyone but would really like to have a loving person to share passions with (mine, hers, ours). I can cook and love to chop stuff, make soups and salads, but prefer guidance with spices and sauces — and I would like to take some cooking courses one day!
I'm working on balance. I'm trying to find a person that appreciates me, but also has a life and can be independent. I have bit of difficulty letting my feelings show as much as I should and am working on that, too. I would love to be in a relationship of equals. I take care of you and I know you are going to take care of me.
If you're looking for a homebody, couch potato or sports fan, I'm not your man. I'm more about participating than watching. I'm social, and I love to go out and entertain, so if that doesn't interest you, its likely to be a deal-breaker. You must be able to travel and be financially stable, too.
I would love to have someone to see the world with, go for walks, share my frustrations with or just hang out with. I was once in hospital for a couple of weeks. The guy in the next bed had a wife that would bring the paper in the morning and they would spend a couple of hours just reading quietly together. I was so envious. The ability to have companionship without doing anything. A shared experience without the experience.
I was inspired by the idea of having the opportunity of actually meeting real people that are interested in a real relationship. As a talker, I'm not interested in spending tons of time texting. There is no emotion in texts or email. In the end, what I want is to be happy. I know I'm not going to find perfect. I just want perfect enough for me.
Want to connect with Bob?
Email
[e-mail]
to request a connection. (Note: Responses are not guaranteed.)