I realised the years were passing when an internet date cancelled because one of his teeth had fallen out. If it had been me, I would have kept quiet about it. When you’re older and looking for love, rule No 1 is to give the appearance of being hale and hearty. Nobody wants a wreck – keep that for marriage, when you’ve grown older together and have endured those vicissitudes as a couple. But if you’re single, who wants to meet somebody who mirrors back their own mortality?
Nobody looks old when you’ve lived with them for years and years – they’re still the young person you first met. But meeting somebody fresh can be quite a shock. They look so ancient. But (ha!) look in the mirror. They’re thinking exactly the same about you.
