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Hi Evan, Here’s my situation. I work at night (I go to work at 5pm). I love my job and my employer. This schedule actually suits me and my lifestyle perfectly. However, my dating life isn’t doing so well in the long run. I meet guys and go on dates but they always use my work schedule as an excuse to not continue dating. Now I realize I’m not going to get along with everyone and people come up with all kinds of reasons not to see someone anymore, but something’s not right when you hear the same thing over and over again (“you’re great but we’d never see each other”).
Seriously, how many people know after two dates that they want to see the other person seven days a week? (With my schedule I’m free for dates four times a week fitting into most other people’s schedules.) My dad worked nights and my mom worked days and they were married for over 30 years so I know it’s do-able for real, committed couples. I just feel that guys these days want dating and relationships to be easy and served up on a platter. The worst part is that I let people know on my Internet profile that I have this schedule and to be honest with themselves ahead of time. Nope! Do you have any advice? Are there any dating sites for night workers? Do firefighters, EMTs, 911 operators and ER doctors write to with this issue? —Rachael
Actually, Rachael, firefighters, EMTs, 911 operators and ER doctors would ask me about this very same issue — they just don’t have the time to write.
I’m joking, of course…but not really.
Listen, I’m sympathetic to any busy readers, the same as I am for my busy clients.
Your gift to us is your time, not your mere existence.
Julie works in sales and travels a few times a month. When she’s home, she’s usually training for a bike race or a triathlon.
Jamie is a lawyer at a big New York City firm who has to do her 2000 billable hours a year and rarely has a free weekend to relax.
Charlene is a lawyer and entrepreneur who is about to launch a third start-up in coming months.
All sincerely want to find love — all invested thousands of dollars into making it happen — and all of them are just as single as the day they met me.
Either they didn’t have the time to log in to Match.
Or they didn’t have the time to respond to men who wrote.
Or they didn’t respond to the men who wrote quickly enough.
Or they didn’t make time to talk to men on the phone to screen them.
Or they didn’t have time to plan to meet new men for drinks every weekend.
Or they didn’t have the time to keep a dialogue afloat amidst their other travels, hobbies and work obligations.
Put yourself in the shoes of a man for a second.
You’re talking to an amazing woman online.
She’s cute, she’s bright, she’s interested…and she hasn’t responded to your email in three days.
She’s kind, she’s interesting, she’s relationship-oriented…and she doesn’t have time to see you again until next Thursday.
She’s a wonderful and impressive person…and she’s simply not available.
The truth is, Rachael, guys don’t care all that much about your resume.
They care about your physical and emotional availability.
Most men would sacrifice a “10” who could see them once a week for an “8” who could talk every day and get together three or four nights a week
Just because some women (including your Mom) are willing to marry men in the military, professional athletes, politicians, traveling salesmen, and night workers, doesn’t mean that many men would be amenable to the same arrangement.
Your gift to us is your time, not your mere existence.
As such, I’m not at all surprised that you’re struggling to make a connection — and that you’re losing out to a woman who has more time to give.
And, like anyone who discovers that your natural way of being is impeding her from love, you have a choice to make.
Keep your life the way it is, alienate 95% of all men, and lament the fact that most will still prefer women who are more available than you…
Or…choose a different job that allows you to be more available.
This is honestly no different than any other dating dilemma that comes up for men and women. Play to the majority or deal with the consequences.
The guy with the dreadlocks who complains he’s striking out on JDate?
The woman who says she’s never dating online but wants to meet a man?
The guy who thinks that he shouldn’t have to pick up the first check?
Sure, you can stand your ground, but your results will be the same. You’re expecting the world to change instead of making changes yourself.
That seems to be your blind spot, Rachael.
You think it’s unfair that men want relationships to be easy.
I think it makes perfect sense.
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