Everybody likes a good story but who likes to be reminded of the dangers they are not aware of? I know that life experiences have made me mistrustful enough in general... until I find myself in a new situation and I can be carefree until I learn a lesson there too.
So is that more like a reluctant romantic Ria? Because you feel fragile? That a broken heart could be fatal for you? Just like in Romeo and Juliet

If so, I see why you like fantasy.
Honestly, my mistrust is about life experiences in general. I've been conned out of a little money when I was younger. I have trusted people who weren't worthy of trust.
But when I started making online contacts with the dating service, at first, I gave an e-mail address with my real name in it. And my service profile has my city name on it. So all they had to do to find my address was to check the phone book. I created a ria 75 e-mail account, which I should have done at once. Who knows, I may already be the target of a total creep.
Reluctant romantic? Perhaps. I wish I could be just rational but that's not the way it works. You can't choose who you love. And you have to really love who you're with. Or you end up a divorcee with a couple of young children.
What does a broken heart do to me? I have good recuperative powers and I've exposed myself so little to relationships that I've never been dumped. I've had my heart broken a couple of times by guys who said, "I just want to be your friend". Never thought the words "Your friendship makes me happy" would hurt that much. That was 12 years ago. I've never been so madly in love since. The only guy I really cared about since then... I was so paralysed I could never tell him how I felt.

And he fell out of the picture. That was many years ago too.
I've protected myself. I've kept my eyes cast down. I've been satisfactorily lonesome... with fantasies. I don't need many friends, I don't go out much except with relatives, so I haven't been very exposed to encounters. Family weddings? Forget about it, it didn't work for me. Work colleagues? already taken (not a good men-women ratio in my profession). Co-workers of different professions? horny dogs who aren't a good match. Chance encounters? As if I'm going to give my number to a stranger! And those who give me theirs I don't want to call.
For the record, I am not broken-hearted now. Certainly not about GI Joe. As I'd pointed out, I haven't had a chance to form an attachment.
I couldn't be more available... although I'm giving myself a little time before trying the dating service thing again.
sorry, no real cash on offer. Only TrekBBSdollars. Exchangeable for instant notoriety anyplace Trekkies congregate.
I guess that's something.

(You didn't think I was serious, did you?)