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When the seniors look around for love

Their numbers are rising, and they find inspiration in the dating mores of the young

BERLIN (U.S.): Forgive Charles Walsh if he is a little slow to join in the rounds of speed dating going on around him. Not only has the 55-year-old divorced father never tried speed dating — he has not been out at night except for work events in about a decade.

"I was married for 20 years, and now I'm nervous," said Mr. Walsh, who preferred to sip a beer at the bar and watch as more than 50 older adults in this beachside town tried speed dating, where men and women are paired for a few minutes of get-to-know-you chat before switching partners.

Forget boring dinner parties. Older Americans looking for love have taken a cue from young urban singles and are flocking to speed-dating events and online personals sites. Match.com, a popular dating website, says registrations among people over 50 have soared 340 per cent since 2000. The American Association of Retired Persons now has a dating advice column in its member magazine.

Changing scene

On Maryland's Eastern Shore, where the roads are dotted with advertisements for retirement communities, the changing senior dating scene is evident. The speed-dating event that Mr. Walsh attended was put on by Mingling Singles, a group that is tripled its membership since its creation just two months ago. At the speed-dating event, some participants said their grown children pushed them to attend. Others said they were sick of tagging along with friends who are couples, or were just tired of trying to find love in a bar.

The matchmaking industry is catching on to the dating interests of older adults. Some dating websites now have special seniors-only areas. Spark Networks, based in Los Angeles, started SilverSingles.com last year, and the site now has about 600,000 members. Another of its dating sites, PrimeSingles.net has another 13,000 members.

Seniors are more comfortable than they used to be with the Internet, and they are finding that online dating lets them take their time choosing a possible mate, said a spokeswoman for Match.com.

"Fifty-five and over is our fastest-growing segment," the spokeswoman said. It is too soon to know whether the speed-dating event resulted in any romances — like many singles groups, the women far outnumbered the men — but based on the din of laughter in the crowd, the singles enjoyed it.

"I'm just starting again" in the singles scene, said Ryan Boyer, 49, of Ocean City. "It's hard. You know what I mean? Where do you start again? I'm just re-learning..."

Even if they do not find love quickly, senior singles enjoy the activities more often associated with younger people, West said. And if romance comes later, they will be ready. "Hope," she said, "springs eternal." — AP

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