I’ve never been a fan of ABC’s Bachelor nation. However, being a single female, in the over fifty-five demographic, The Golden Bachelor series caught my interest.
I honestly had high hopes of seeing people finding love later in life. Despite the episodes becoming more cringy, week after week, and my disappointment in what they consider reality growing exponentially, I stuck with it until the end.
And a gluten for ugh, I watched the wedding.
At first, Bachelor Gerry seemed attractive (I mean okay honestly he is) as well as kind and appealing. But the second he spoke—good grief, the constant emotional breakdowns—and his deep attachment to every woman, like dishwater, his appeal spiraled down the drain.
And the coifed, affluent women. Yeah, not even close to most of our reality!
If I bet on their fairy tale wedding ending in divorce a few months later, I would have won. Same for betting he’d be out looking for his next conquest minutes later.
So now they’re preparing for the Golden Bachelorette. Out of curiosity I’ll tune in, but odds are I won’t watch until the end. I can’t handle fakery in real life. I’m sure as heck not subjecting myself to it for entertainment.
So here’s what I’d love for the powers in television land to give us. Authentic single men and women in their second half of life finding their forever love.
I want to see dad bods, crows feet, and thinning hair. ladies with some cellulite and wrinkles. Real people doing real jobs, or enjoying retirement while living on a fixed income.
I’d gravitate toward watching—and learning—as they navigate dating and romance and intimacy in the somewhat awkwardness that comes with aging. When you’re self-assurance has waned a bit. And life’s ups and downs have made you open to love, while still a bit wary because you’ve learned discovering that special someone isn’t for the faint of heart.
Most of all, whether they’re fifty or ninety, no matter if its “reality TV” or regular hopeful romantics like me seeking a loving partner to roam through life with, I want to see people who are comfortable in their own skin, just as they are.
Celebrating a life well lived without pretense and facades.
Living life one word at a time! 