The Soul Mate Train

So I did actually have a point by bringing up my lively love life. I am not entirely sure right now what it was at the time, but upon further musing - assisted by the fact that I am currently re reading Around the World in 80 Dates by Jennifer Cox - I have been thinking about the idea of soul mates. To me, the concept of dating as a fun activity, and the actual search for Mr Claire are two entirely different things. Dating is a) a reason to get dressed up for a midweek evening, b) an excuse to unleash any untried stories or anecdotes on an unsuspecting member of the male species who in return buys me food to shut me up and c) possibly spending time with a potentially interesting, potential (see how I take nothing for granted?!) new friend. So that's that: it's fun, something I miss in London hence the (as yet un-executed) match.com plan.

I've always had this sense (for absolutely no reason whatsoever) though, that dating and flirting and all that nonsense doesn't in fact have all that much to do with Mr Claire - for the past however many years, I have been working on the assumption that he'll just wander into my life somehow, hopefully we'll get on quite well, and that will be that. I do feel as though if I have to go to all sorts of contortions and effort and panic to find him or get him to notice me - surely I will have to keep all those sorts of contortions and effort and panic up throughout our relationship and surely that will be a bit knackering?

However, given my famously varied taste and attention span of an insect, what he will be like, look like… I have absolutely no clue. I don't even know if I will recognise him, to be honest, I am rather hoping he'll be wearing a badge or something. Of course, what he will be like (or presumably already is like even though I don't know him yet - if he hasn't been born yet I might be in trouble) leads me to my next pondering subject: is there only one of him? I don't think so - if I can quite cheerfully have spent 23 years in love with six (at any given time) members of INXS, I can't imagine that there is only one real life man for me.

So what do I do if more than one shows up at a time (hopefully both wearing their badges)? If we all have a number of potential soulmates, are some of them more soul matey than others? Is it a case of there is one or two head soul mates and possibly a few henchmen who will keep you warm until the head bloke is legal/divorced/out of prison or are there different soul mates for different stages of your life?

Ahh - now that, leads me on to tomorrow's subject (please try not to fall over and hurt yourselves as you bounce in anticipation.)