Sometimes doing the same thing repeatedly, and expecting a different result, makes more sense than giving up. As far as dating goes, there is always risk involved; chances are you’re going to get hurt more than a few times. But as long as you’re alive there’s always a chance to be happy. You move on, hoping you don’t make the same mistakes twice.
But in the present world of online dating, the rules of the game have changed. Newly single, not-yet-thirty and living in a major city, I easily fell for the idea of instant happy hour plans four nights a week. But after the first month or so you start to realize it’s nothing short of insanity. At what point do you hedge your bets and stop going on other dates to pursue one person? The logical answer: when you think they’re going to do the same. But even when the odds are in your favor, you’re still paying a monthly subscription fee; having invested too much in a perfectly crafted profile, you keep your account active, just in case.
I repeatedly played this game for far too long. I wasted a lot of time and even more money. In the middle of this I met a girl at work who patiently waited for me to cash in, and now we are married.

Love Games

I started playing guitar when grunge bands and boy bands were battling for top 40 spots, so you might say my sound is somewhere (awkwardly) in the middle. After being kicked out of several bands in high school and college, despite being a founding member, I was warmly accepted into the open mic community as another artist recovering from years of playing covers. Several  songwriters I admire have said that a song needs to sound good on an acoustic guitar before adding in the full band; I echo this by keeping my Taylor front and center. Streaming platforms might label this “singer/songwriter,” but I prefer “songwriter/singer” to reflect the priority I place on the creative process, rather than the performance.

Love Games

Jeff Ossinger