How did you meet your SO?

[shootingstar]

If I may relay, some experiences of sisters:

Sister 1- met her husband at a university fitness club. They were both joggers.

Sister 2 - met her hubby at a local runnning club.

Would I be interested in hooking with another guy after dearie (he is 16 yrs. older. than I)? Probably not. 'Cause I just think I'm a one-guy kind of woman. Is that awful? No, it probably helps alot I found love at 31 because prior, it allowed me to become comfortable with myself by doing and enjoying stuff alone too.

[TsPoet]

I announced when I was 12 (apparently, I don't remember) that I was never going to be part of a "couple", that the whole concept was stupid. I put it a little more eloquently when I was 25 and carefully explained to my mother that I didn't understand the need for an SO, that I had my life my way, that I loved the things I did and never had to compromise, etc. She shook her head and said that I'd said that when I was 12 and she was hoping I'd "grow up". Oh well.

I'm 44 now and living with a wonderful man whom I adore, but not a day goes by that I don't have to remind myself that I adore him and I'm happy, that the old single days weren't as necessary to my happiness as I'd thought and to relax.

I met him on-line. I wonder if the statistics about the number of relationships that start on line on whatever TV add that is aren't true. But, it wasn't a dating site, it was a cycling site. I never noticed him particularly on-line but when I got a PM from Zyzzyx, I recognized that I'd seen posts by him/her. He said he was moving and I'd said something in one of my posts that made him think I might live in the area, and could I show him places to ride?
That was 4 years ago. We've been friends every since and "together" just over a year.
So, I think that's 3 of us who have answered that we've met our SOs on-line. But, not on dating sites.

[indysteel]

I thought this when I was single and I think this now. It takes some work to be happy. Maybe for some it comes relatively easy, but I had to work at putting a fulfilling life together--between work, friends, hobbies, volunteering, etc. It didn't happen out of complacency. As a newly married person, it's not all that different now. My husband doesn't fulfill every aspect of my life, and I still feel the need for diverse interests and a variety of relationships. If anything, I think it's sometimes harder to do that as a married person because your time is not entirely your own. So, my point is that as much as I understand the desire and need for emotional and physical intimacy, I think you put yourself well ahead of the game if you simply make a habit of trying to live a happy and fulfilling life. Keep your heart and mind open to new people and new experiences and hopefully you will find what you need in the process.

ETA: the above isn't to suggest that the OP isn't happy or fulfilled as a single person. I just wanted to share my thoughts about my own time as a late thirty-something single woman. I got a lot of advice when I was single of the "you'll meet somebody someday" variety. I always cringed when I heard it because i didn't want to live like I was in some indefinite holding pattern. I wanted to live in the now. I tried to make the most of being single and, especially as I neared forty, I felt like I finally did.

[ridenread]

I also met my husband online when I was 36 and happily single. We emailed and instant messaged each other for about two months before we actually met in person. We met in October, were engaged in February and married in August. We will be celebrating our 12th anniversary at a baseball game at Fenway Park this year!

[Crankin]

Good, someone else met and married their SO almost as quickly as I did!
I wasn't that old when I met DH (25), but I was already divorced. I had had one serious relationship in between, with a couple of not so serious ones. I definitely did not want to be single, but I was enjoying my life, not sitting waiting around. It was the late 70's, so I spent a lot of time in discos and bars, as well as doing some things I didn't do in college (like going to ASU football games), because I was with jerky DH #1. Truthfully, I don't like being alone. I do stuff by myself and actually enjoy some solitude, but I would not like to not have a partner. I often think that if DH dies before me (even though he is 3 years younger), I probably wouldn't marry again, but I would want to find someone to share my life with.
It would have to be a cyclist, of course.

[Veronica]

I was 11, he was 12, local swimming hole. He loved my white terry cloth bikini - it was 1978.

We didn't start dating until I was a sophomore and he was a junior in high school. Married after my freshman year of college, celebrated our 25th anniversary this June.

Veronica

[ultraviolet]

At work. He was a product manager at a company I was doing a lot of consulting work for. I was facilitating a review of some outside agency work for his product group. We were in a late evening review session, he made a sarcastic remark under his breath about something the creative director was trying to do, and our eyes met over a stifled laugh.

We went out for a drink a few weeks later. That was three and a half years ago.

[Roadtrip]

I met my SO in college. I was actually hired in another department to replace him and we spent lots of time together over three months working on a big project. I knew him from around campus and he had a GF and he wasnt exactly my type. He went through a bad breakup with his GF and when it was time for the project to be end I realized I did have feelings for him, but didn't want to be 'rebound' girl and was really hesitant. I ended up calling him up and asked if he wanted to do lunch sometime... He suggested dinner and I said yes

That was nearly thirteen years ago.

Shannon

[zoom-zoom]

I was 11, he was 12, local swimming hole. He loved my white terry cloth bikini - it was 1978.

We didn't start dating until I was a sophomore and he was a junior in high school. Married after my freshman year of college, celebrated our 25th anniversary this June.

Veronica

I thought for sure that I was going to be the one who was youngest when meeting her SO, but you got me beat!

I met my DH when I was 17, the Summer before my last year of HS. He was 18 and had just finished and was preparing to go off to college.

I went with a friend to a bonfire party. After a couple of wine coolers I was giggly and thought he was cute (he was...and still is). He totally didn't notice me.

My best friend and his best friend decided to set us up on a date. It was supposed to just be a brief Summer fling, as he was leaving in 2.5 weeks.

We went on our first date to the drive-in. I couldn't concentrate on either movie (Always and Back to the Future III). We sat in my yard talking until 3am. Well, I think I probably did most of the talking...but it didn't scare him off. I knew he was something special after that first date. After that we were practically inseparable until the day he left for college. That last night we said goodbye was one of the most painful things I've ever experienced. We both cried and held each other for hours.

Our parents said it would never last.

We dated long-distance for 3 years, including 5 months on different continents when he studied abroad in Aberdeen, Scotland. After those years I decided to move to MI to be closer to him (I wanted to transfer schools, anyhow, so the timing was right). Our parents threw fits about it. But we were adults and there wasn't anything they could do.

We lived together for a few years and were married 6.5 years after we started dating. Aug. 2 marks 21 years since our first date. This Dec. we will celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.

A few years ago my folks apologized for ever meddling and trying to discourage our relationship. And I know better than to ever discourage a young couple from being together if they have a healthy relationship. Some people do meet their soulmates young. My ILs met as teenagers, too.

[indysteel]

Good, someone else met and married their SO almost as quickly as I did!
I wasn't that old when I met DH (25), but I was already divorced. I had had one serious relationship in between, with a couple of not so serious ones. I definitely did not want to be single, but I was enjoying my life, not sitting waiting around. It was the late 70's, so I spent a lot of time in discos and bars, as well as doing some things I didn't do in college (like going to ASU football games), because I was with jerky DH #1. Truthfully, I don't like being alone. I do stuff by myself and actually enjoy some solitude, but I would not like to not have a partner. I often think that if DH dies before me (even though he is 3 years younger), I probably wouldn't marry again, but I would want to find someone to share my life with.
It would have to be a cyclist, of course.

Yeah, I didn't really want to be single when I was 25, or 30, or 35. But when you remain single year after year (minus a handful of relationships), you gotta figure out a way to make it work. I just go to a point where I was sick of being sad all the time about it, especially since I know plenty of marriages that are nothing to pine after.

[MojoGrrl]

Co-worker, who was a shoulder to cry on when my marriage was ending...and then more.