[Diane]

Good morning to all and long time no see

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Agreed. I am not just struggling with the idea of dating but socializing at all. I no longer drink at all. So that means no meeting for happy hours. I just dont want to. Its incredible the number of friends I have to leave  behind just because I dont want to party. Yes. I can still go but I dont enjoy them any longer. Hate to say. Its funny how technology is changing our interactions. I just went to Ross for a dog bed. I expected to at least chit chat with the cashier. Laugh. Smile. Nope. I was sent to self check out. Why would I shop in a store at all any longer? Easier to do it online if it is all this impersonal. 
Missing those good ol' days more and more!!







Good morning and so nice to see you all here. I renewed on CM when the price was rock bottom and there was really no point to it. I dont feel much excitement about dating at all. Let alone try to get along with someone 2000 miles away. I do miss the chat there and of course I miss Don dearly. Its incredible what a wonderful companion he was during the last years of his life to me. I feel so blessed to have known him and all of you.

Welcome back, Diane. "No point to it" is my feeling exactly about renewing on CM. I renewed in April for one year (at the regular price) and am wondering why. I think I have sent two messages since then, which achieved no results. Maybe there is a fear of missing out but then I see what I would have missed out on. I don't feel much excitement about dating at this point either. 

As for dating someone 2,000 miles away or even somewhat less, I am more adamant than ever about not wanting to do long distance, maybe one hour to two hours max. About two years ago, I pushed out my boundaries to 500 miles in any direction. This included cities like Denver and Tucson. Nothing came of it. I ended up meeting one lady, who lived in the same state about 100 miles away. It went nowhere. 

CM and other sites are constantly trying to convince people to do long distance. But my experience is that most people do not want to do long distance. That was the feedback I got from the messages I sent to women in remote cities. Maybe this is more true of my age group and younger people are more willing. 

I also dislike CM's new messaging system. It is good that they are requiring a minimum word count. But there is a price for it. There are now no paragraph breaks. One of the things I always thought set CM apart from other sites is that you could send long and detailed messages. You can still do that but it is harder with no paragraph breaks. It has been proven that people stop reading if a paragraph just goes on and on without a break. 

I miss Don's wit and wisdom also. I feel that this forum would be in a better place now if he were still around.

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Hi Fellow members!

I have promised Don that we will not enter into political discussions. CatholicHangout's main purpose is to be a safe haven for all catholics from other secular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, etc.

I remember reading an old CM thread where the Admin had to end a Political room because of the nasty posts they found. There are other platforms for political discussions. Political is not in the CatholicHangout wheelhouse.

I also understand the frustration of the "there is not nothing much to do here other than Fun and Games thread." In my busy schedule and commitment to my local parish, I am doing my best to find ways to promote the love God wants us to have with one another on this forum.

However, we must bring all of our desires to Jesus as He is our ultimate fulfillment. Our future spouses, this forum, or anything else cannot replace His Love for us. When we place our trust in Him, all of our fears, worries and anxieties dissipate.

Thanks, Joshua. I respect your position on this. I certainly would not want you to renege on your promise to Don. At this point, I am at a loss about what to do to shore up this forum. I note that we have lost several active members since the first of this year. Even the "fun and games" thread seems moribund. I will try to come up with some ideas as the spirit moves me. One question is how do you define "politics"? Where would you draw the line between "current or historical events" and "politics"? Could there be discussions of current or historical events that are not political and therefore acceptable on the forum? This is something to think about. I agree we should put our trust in Jesus and not in human beings or human endeavors.