Patria-Kaye Aarons | Any rooms at Heartbreak Hotel?

Recently, a personal ad made the social-media rounds. Long story short, a seemingly normal, retired man in Montego Bay was in search of love for the third time around. His last two relationships tragically ended in death and divorce, as relationships sometimes do.

He was very articulate about the kind of woman he wanted next. Top of the list, she needed to be mature, employed and Christian. (I questioned the "employed" requirement. How are you not working and yet you want a woman bringing in income?) I wondered if he was making it clear he had no intention of being anybody's sugar-daddy, or if he was the one in search of a sugar mama.) But I digress.

I understood his searching. The reality is that the divorce rate is on the rise, and more seniors are growing old alone. The dreams they had of one partner for life are no more. After loveless marriages and bitter divorces, they find themselves single and on the market again. They have an empty nest. Their children have all grown and are caught up in their own lives. The calls from them come once a week and the visits are reduced to birthdays, Mother's/Father's Day and Christmas. So we have a growing population of older folk who are single and lonely. Where should they look for love? Where do Jamaicans find love after 60?

The ad mentioned at the start attracted droves of Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp shares, not because people were playing matchmaker, but because they were ridiculing the man who placed it.

People genuinely found the personal ad funny. Nobody had laughed when Rupert Holmes wrote a personal ad trying to find a pina colada-loving, yoga-hating lady. So why was this so funny?

Truth is, things and times have changed. Personal ads like those have been replaced by Caribbean Cupid and e-Harmony and ChristianMingle.com. But many over-60s have no knowledge of, or interest in, social dating platforms. I'd be hard-pressed to find a nice, single grandma on Tinder swiping right on a handsome silver fox. Besides, the old men on those sites are looking for women 25-35. Those sleazy old men want a girl half their daughter's age and don't have a problem finding them. Like Junior Gong says, "Use Cheddar as the bait, den you recruit a rat."

SHALLOW DATING POOL

The search is particularly difficult for older folk desirous of being with each other. Folk in the true prime of their lives. Their dating pool is very shallow. And with no more restrictions of a 9-5, they are searching for a companion. Someone whose company they enjoy because of shared interest and great conversation. At that age, they know how they want to be treated and their standards are often higher than when they were younger.

Single and 60 is hard. I know at least 10 ladies in that position. Where will they find love? Church? Those men are married (and that's not a distraction you want at church). Clubs? Not their cup of tea, and the older men there are looking for younger girls.

I write this week with no answers. Just providing a voice for far too many single retirees. They are out there, and want love and have no idea where to find it. Solutions welcome. Perhaps someone should host an event:

"Members only, it's a private party

Don't need no money to qualify

Don't bring your cheque book, bring your broken heart

'Cause it's members only tonight."

Patria-Kaye Aarons is a television presenter and confectioner. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and findpatria@yahoo.com, or tweet @findpatria.