We couldn't be any different.

Not me and you - my reader, of course, although that applies more than I'm aware of, but me and my new beau, who I have no clue why, I thought was not going to be yet another question mark in my disastrous line of wanna-be-boyfriends. Like I wrote you before he's sweet, great looking, body to drool over, loves the same type of sex though didn't have much experience and for a change is a lawyer with a degree in in law and a job as one. Thats refreshing coming from someone who keeps on dating broken house disasters. Well for the lack of the better word I think I failed again or did I?. I spent a few days and got involved with someone who has 3500 G.I. Joe toys in his two bedroom, of course proud of putting them together himself since he was five. Who can blame the guy? If I ewas born here this might be my cultural access and influence. - in Rio more than in other places influence of American modern culture is more apparent than from good old mother Portugal. For joyful carefree need of association with some real culture he tattooed today characters from Almodovar movie Kika on his arm, which must be up there for him with other pinnacles of high culture. I dont know if I dont despise that as much as I envy it. Maybe I should tattoo facsimile Beethoven and Schostakovich on my biceps and dont care what anybody says. And from there its a way downhill with popular but by any means not enlightening TV shows and other mainstream pop movies filling his shelf while the room which he occupies is adorned with a TV the width of his bed. Is he going to make me watch all of them? I guess his free out of jail card were the DVD' of Amadeus and The Hours, but very good films though one more commercial then other. No to mention that he is a Cancer like my father and we all know how well that relationship turned out. Aries and Cancer - not a good match but OK , I'll turn a blind eye on astrology since its not an exact science. In other words we couldn't be any different or more incompatible, and I am fooling myself if I dont admit we can have a different than apparent future where I am gradually becoming bored with his common place interests and predictable character. So where do I make the mistake? I am supposed to be intelligent but an intelligent person makes new mistakes not the old ones. Repeating them with expectation of a different effect is a sign of madness - then I am clearly mad, and why yet again I am fooling myself? Is it the compliments? But why would I fall for such a cheap form of manipulation? Is it the great body, cute face and gorgeous smile - all the things that will perish in time, or os it my own inability to date someone my age who doesn't look most fresh. The last four guys I dated are 6 to 7 years younger and their young looks make me feel younger, thats for sure. They are all 29 or 30 but thats not change the fact I'm going to be 40 in 4 years. So why do I persistently keep on dating "children". I gather its their curiosity and the fact that making them fall in love with me is so easy. They're innocent and I show them things they've never done before. It is that simple they discover themselves through me so they are smart to go along with it but why do I do it, what do I discover? Most likely I am searching for myself as much as they do and since its so difficult to grow through development with people who know more than you do, you can grow by observing yourself with people that know and understand less. The innocence is always like a clean slate you can write of or a breath of fresh air, hard to come by in an intelligent person as its usually guarded, but once on the inside you have unrestricted access to it and maybe its just fun to see how you can mold it. Perhaps this is why I spend my time with them its just like being a parent and seeing them grow - except the fun is much more involving when you raise a 29 year old into what you want. Did I mention that he is charming and helpful and intelligent. I dont know maybe I should settle for what I can have and mold - a rough diamond. As long as you do it unnoticeably and to their pleasure you can perhaps mold them. Last but not least it would make sense to have a house in Rio since anyway I am here 3-4 months each year as my arthritis hates the winter and the added benefit is I have already some friends here, my Portuguese is getting there with a funny accent but my new beau is very very helpful in teaching me and almost refuses to speak English. I think we fell in love, so easy with me, and lets see how long it lasts. I feel like a butterfly jumping from one lovely guy to another till I feel I found the right one. Wouldn't be better to have a period of alone time? I dont know without a bf I am very unproductive an depressive. No matter how it ends I am very grateful to each one of them to sharing a period of their life with me and for showering me with kisses and attention and compliments and ultimately becoming my dear friends. So what is there to loose. And if 3500 G.I Joes may seem scary at first it may also signify a lifelong attachment to something one loves and discipline in continuing the interests to the fullest - so its all up the the point of view. All I can say is that despite all my cynicism I am excited to spend the following three weeks in his home where he generously invited me, polish my Portuguese and get to know this sweet guy better. I promise you'll know how it turned out. Matt