I'm losing all the way around in the dating game....the only ones I meet and are available just got out of prison....I just stay being my friendly chipper self and watch the x con get their girl....

I have given up. Just trying to focus on me. If it happens it happens.

Hold your line!
Every variety of person is out there and you'll likely have to swim past a lot of strange-looking (to you) fish before you encounter one who shares your preferences/ideals. But if you "change to adapt", then that fish won't even recognize you when you get there. So my advice is to rigidly stay yourself. And don't take the freak show too seriously.

Dating is different at different ages. I recently reconnected with an old flame and wnder why we ever broke up in the first place. It was only about two and a half year ago that we last dated but we were both in a different place then in our lives and perhaps not ready. The question is are we ready now? I'm not sure but I'm taking a chance. Sometimes that is all it is, taking a chance. You don't know what will happen until you put yourself out there. I want a relationship that will last the rest of my life and stop with this dating merry-go-round as you put it. I've been on it way too long. As to finding your community, This is a great website. I like the fact that we can all just skip the religious bs and not too much political bs, and just talk about being human in this time and space. Perhaps we will all find new relationships with like-minded individuals.