Under 3 Yrs + Wedding Ring

Okay, so I've decided to add two new criteria when I'm judging a prospective mate: age and ring.

Age: I've already mentioned that I lost my father at a young age. As a result, I fear that I get easily attached to father figures when it comes to guys I want to date. This was proven in at least two cases. So, in order to avoid a warped, romantic attachment to a father figure, I've decided to limit the age difference between myself and whatever guy I like to three years.

I remember when Night Runner was dating a 50+ year old man (who was actually a friend of her father's…). I was so weirded out by it and she recently told me that, looking back, she agrees that he was way too old for her. She recommends that I go for guys that are much closer to my own age, and therefore are "on the same page" in terms of their life histories and immediate life goals.

Honestly, I don't know how much I have in common with a guy that is over 30. I'm still just starting out in my career, not rushing to get married, and want to move around a lot more before I settle down with a family. Assumingly, a 30+ year old is a bit more established and settled in his life or at least not as transient as I am as a 26 year old who wants to go back to school, join the Peace Corps, and live in NYC, CA and abroad before 35.

Wedding Ring: I told a friend last night that I'm looking for a guy with a wedding ring in his pocket. I know it sounds silly, but I don't see the point of casual dating. So unless a guy is looking for a wife, leave me alone.

I'm sure that there are a lot of great men that I'll miss out on, but I've learned that I'm not the type to play the field or handle relationships with guys that won't move toward the altar. And since I'm not looking to get married until I've accomplished a few more things in my career and personal life, there's no point of me seriously looking right now. So, I'll just keep my normal circle of friends, adding only male buddies that stay strictly platonic no matter what sort of beer goggles I'm wearing.