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Member Profile: Girasolecontento
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"Comfortable with uncertainty "
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I am a:
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65-year-old Man (Divorced)
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Located in:
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Portland, ME (USA) |
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Seeking a:
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Woman (45 to 65) |
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For:
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Friendship, Dating, Serious Relationship |
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Spirituality:
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Agnostic, Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan/Wiccan, Scientology, Shinto, Sikh, Sufism, Taoist, Unitarian, Yoga, Spiritual, not religious, SRF/YSS, Other |
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| About Me
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UPDATE: I made this profile around 5 years ago and am now in a committed relationship. But I am always interested in friendship or collaborations with like-minded souls, so am leaving it up for now (Dec. 3, 2025). My spiritual views have been evolving a lot, so I just now checked off every single box, although perhaps I should have *unchecked* every single one. I'm not sure there even is a thing called spirituality. Original profile:
What I've learned about myself is that I'm sincere and big-hearted, which sometimes has its downsides, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love people, of all types, and I alternate my naturally outgoing nature with periods of quiet to recharge. I'm funny, playful and light-hearted, except when I'm in a deeply serious discussion. I find myself deeply in touch with life these days. I'm not afraid to cry, either from sadness or joy. I have not had my own kids in life, but I love kids a lot, and my former partner and I raised a foster son of sorts. I aspire to have a "strong back, soft front, and wild heart" and will likely spend the rest of my life exploring what that truly means.
What matters most to me in a partner (and in myself) are a commitment to making a difference in the world (in whatever way), both a willingness and the ability to communicate, a sense of humor and playfulness (those matter a LOT), ability to look honestly at oneself, a healthy lifestyle, a sharp intellect, a commitment to a true spiritual path (not spiritual bypassing), and the courage to go deep and be raw and honest. Those are all values that I work to cultivate in myself.
We're all wounded in one way or another, it's part of being human, and if you haven't "done your work" then we're probably not a good match. And if you think you've finished your work, then we're probably not a good match also. I don't believe our personal work is ever completely done.
I am a musician, gardener, hiker, paddler, skier, bicyclist, dancer, artist of sorts, and many other things. I moved to Washington, DC a year ago to pursue an incredibly fulfilling and challenging path of bringing human-centered leadership development to Congress and am, in fact, making inroads and living some sort of dream. I travel to the southwest often, particularly Santa Fe where I have a strong circle of friends and colleagues and a growing connection to Upaya Zen Center, and where I've been going for almost 30 years. Dancing, music and the outdoors are big parts of my life. I started dancing almost 40 years ago and have never stopped, particularly ecstatic dance and 5 rhythms. I love playing music and in another life would have been a professional musician. I am part of a wonderful community of friends who play music together regularly. I've been privileged to have had some epic outdoor experiences that have changed my life, from canoeing in the Canadian arctic to camping on top of the Presidential range at 40 below. We are really quite small beings in a big world.
Professionally I am passionate about making the world a better place, resolving conflict and creating community. I wear many hats: public policy mediator, author, political reformer, and civic innovator. I run my own public policy mediation firm and am privileged to be affiliated with some amazing people in the fields o conflict resolution and political transformation. I have had the good fortune to work on issues of national significance, particularly in the environmental arena. In more recent years, I am working towards transformation of our political system. Am I nuts? Perhaps. But I'd like to think it's in a good way.
Although my worklife involves me in heavy political and legal circles, most of my friends are quite down to earth and some are outright vagabonds. I am very happy on my own and have a wonderful community of friends and family, but I'm curious about who is out there to enjoy doing things with, and I am open to more.
The past few years have been some of the most difficult of my life, with some major losses, and also been perhaps the most important. I like being around people who are creative, funny, kind, self-reflective, and energetic and are participating in their own way in creating a better world and community and who don't necessarily conform to the usual norms. Lastly, although I clearly like words, I increasingly question their limitations to fully express and experience life. But they are a good start. |
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Basics
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My Sign:
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Aquarius |
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I speak:
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English, Italian, Spanish |
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Occupation:
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Mediator, writer, civic innovator, political reformer |
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Education:
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Bachelors Degree |
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Ethnicity:
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Caucasian |
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Height:
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5 9" (175 cm)
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Body Type:
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Athletic |
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Eye Color:
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Brown |
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Hair Color:
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Dark Brown |
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Hair Length:
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Short |
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Lifestyle
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I live with:
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Live alone |
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Have kids:
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Yes, living away from me |
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Want (more) children:
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Leave Blank |
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Willing To Relocate:
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Maybe
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Diet:
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Vegetarian |
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Smoking:
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No |
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Drinking:
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Social Drinker |
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Exercise:
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exercise regularly |
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How I spend my free time:
- Gardening, running, biking, playing music, dancing, hiking, reading, time with dear friends, and silly Netflix shows that make me laugh uproariously.
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| Personality
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My Personality:
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Caring, Intelligent, Playful
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What makes me laugh hardest:
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Parks and Recreation
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I'm happiest when:
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I'm playing music with my friends, hiking or skiing above 10,000', camping with my buds in the desert, feeling like my work is making a difference, I am feeling life deeply whether with joy or sadness.
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The things that annoy me are:
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Secrecy and dishonesty.
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The best day of my life was when:
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Can't choose just one...but I'd say 70 mile bike ride through the Finger Lakes at age 25 with my wonderful friend Gretchen, or the all-day hike with friends, kids and dogs to a secret beach at Point Reyes, any one of the days backpacking with my best buddy Eric in the wilds of Colorado. Or the day I proposed to my wife in a very special place (ask me about it).
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If I could have dinner with any three people, they would be:
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Peace Pilgrim, Dorothy Day, and my mother (living in memory care at age 91 and I just love her completely.)
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Interests
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My interests, hobbies, and pastimes include...
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Cooking, Crafts, Gardening, Movies, Museums, Music (listening), Music (performing), Politics, Reading, Travel, Volunteering, Writing
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The physical activities I'm interested in are:
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Biking, Camping, Dancing, Hiking/Backpacking, Running, Skiing, Tennis, Yoga (hatha)
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Values
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The virtues I consider most important are...
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Generosity, Honesty, Kindness
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The things I'm most grateful for in life are...
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Healthy body, healthy mind, wonderful caring friends and family.
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My goals, and what I want out of life...
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To help make a better world and to keep learning and practicing kindness, generosity, honesty, compassion and humility.
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My greatest accomplishments in life have been...
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This question merits a lot of thought. I want to consider it more. it is very thought-provoking. What really matters? I have published a book on transforming American democracy, which was a huge effort and something I'm quite proud of. But until I have used the book to actually make a difference, the accomplishment is incomplete. I have somehow learned to be a kind caring person and I know that that makes a difference in the lives of my loved ones.
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Five or ten years from now, I see myself...
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I hope to have progressed down the path of my Buddhist practice and I hope to achieved some of my ambitious goals to transform American democracy, with a focus on fostering courage and compassion in politics. (note; this answer is old; time to update it)
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My political inclination can be described as...
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Some other viewpoint
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Spirituality
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Spiritual Orientation:
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Agnostic, Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan/Wiccan, Scientology, Shinto, Sikh, Sufism, Taoist, Unitarian, Yoga, Spiritual, not religious, SRF/YSS, Other
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I consider my spirituality...
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Very important to me
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What brought me to my spiritual path and motivated my interest...
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I might have said that spirituality is the central focus of my life, but I see it as something that permeates all that I do, or at least I aspire to that. I think that sometimes people can get caught up in the trappings of spiritual practice and overlook the real human dimensions of life and bringing ones practice into the world.
I started on the path of Buddhist practice when I was 20 years old and I'm not sure that I can say how conscious a decision it was. It was a time of my life when I felt a lot of suffering and I was drawn to deeper meaning than was present in our usual American society. I spent 3 months in semi-monastic practice and wile I have never practiced so intensely since, that experience has stayed with me all these years.
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I consider the purpose of my spirituality to be...
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Connecting to something greater than myself, Finding happiness and peace within, Helping me cope with the struggles of life, Instilling morality and virtues, Helping me grow as a person
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I would define a spiritual experience as...
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Feeling deeply how all beings and even objects are interconnected.
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A spiritual experience I would like to share...
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Let's talk.
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The spiritual books and authors that have had the greatest impact on me...
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Pema Chodron, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Khen Rinpoche Lobsang Tsetan, Frank Ostaseski, Joan Halifax.
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Who I'm Looking For
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I'm seeking a:
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Woman (45 to 65)
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Ethnicity:
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Any
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Height:
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4' 10" to 6' 0" (147cm to 183cm)
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Body Type:
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Any
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Hair Color:
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Any
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She should speak:
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English
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Education:
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Some College, Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree, Graduate Degree, PhD/Post Doctoral, School of Life
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Annual Income:
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Doesn't Matter
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Smoking:
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No
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Drinking:
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No, Social Drinker, Non-alcoholic beverages only
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Vegetarian:
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Doesn't Matter
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Has children:
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Doesn't Matter
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Wants children:
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Doesn't Matter
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Personality:
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Caring, Intelligent, Playful
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When out with friends, she would be...
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Doesn't Matter
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Spiritual Orientation:
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Any
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She would consider her faith or spirituality...
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The central focus of her life, Very important
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