Elizabeth Quinn, a recently single woman in her 60s, has re-entered the world of online dating after a long hiatus, only to find the landscape transformed by lockdowns and ageist attitudes. She recalls a story of a 70-year-old Englishwoman who met her husband through a newspaper ad, sparking a romance that began with a pub lunch and ended with her never going home. Yet when Quinn shares this tale, some acquaintances react with disgust, reflecting a societal discomfort with intimacy among older adults.
Quinn admits she once shared that discomfort, shocked decades ago by a friend's detailed accounts of a garage affair. But after her own experiences of divorce and singlehood, she now sees sex and intimacy as vital connections. 'Life is short and getting shorter by the day,' she writes, embracing the hope of finding such a connection again.
The dating app market has evolved since her last foray, with free apps like Lumen and Bumble targeting the over-50s, though Quinn remains sceptical of their claims. Paid sites like Silver Singles and Elite Singles offer personality tests and computer access, encouraging deeper profiles. With Melbourne in another six-week lockdown, fraternising is banned, making written and phone courtships essential. 'The meeting of minds can be a great aphrodisiac,' Quinn notes, describing extended conversations as 'cerebral sex' in place of physical encounters.
She has been corresponding with one man for nearly a month, discussing everything from 1960s TV to dog breeds. When she likened their chat to 'slipping on a comfortable pair of moccasins,' he replied, 'My days as a dangerous pair of stilettos are well and truly over.' Quinn argues that new partnerships at 60 can be as passionate as in youth, with the added advantage of freedom from societal expectations. 'The early stages of a relationship are usually the most passionate, and this is true for couples of all ages,' she concludes.
