I just had a major hit to my self-image.
I met a woman here on Reddit, and we really connected. We both had very similar libido/kink/adventurousness and were surprisingly compatible in most other ways. The chemistry was palpable, and we chatted very frequently for almost a week.
She was quite a bit younger. I won't say how much, but generally I try to find partners no more than 10 years younger. She was an exception because of the level of connection and because she was specifically looking for an older gentleman. This was NOT a sugar-baby; we're just both very specific about what we want, and we aligned "perfectly." She had a great job.
Because we were having so much fun, I think we both avoided exchanging photos. When we did the first face-down verification shots, we were still totally into each other and continued to have spicy conversations late into the night and this morning.
Well, today we finally did the photo exchange. When she saw my face, she said the age difference suddenly hit her hard. We talked a bit, expressed our well-wishes and parted ways.
I didn't honestly think it was going to work out between us because of the gap and the phase-of-life issues that go along with it, but the experience just negatively-reinforced two things for me:
- No matter how much I want connection through chatting, always exchange photos quickly.
- Going through the experience of being rejected after someone sees your face is quite hard, and it suddenly reinforced how much I hate every wrinkle I've gained and every hair follicle I've lost.
Perhaps this experience will help others avoid similar feelings.