Uh, how about none...
But first an explanation. I am pushing 60 and as a lifelong single male, I have never had a girlfriend, never dated nor had any female companionship.
How and why? It pertains to matters both in and out of my control.
In terms of latter, I am a short and homely guy, qualities that do not exactly endear you to the opposite sex. Lost track of the number of times women have got in my face and said 'your short' or 'your unattractive'- and showed no concern for how those words impact my life or (worse yet) do not even realize they did/said anything wrong.
From standpoint of former, I went through some rather rough times of a Job-like capacity as a young man in his late teens to early twenties, which served to significantly set back the development of my social skills. So basically I remained on the sidelines during my prime twenties and thirties dating years. It is my fault in that I lost track of the number of invites to single groups, events and activities I turned down and pretty much stayed home and avoided others company.
That said, I also do not feel it is fair to second guess decisions you made as a young person either. So as the old saying goes, onward and upwards:
Proverbs 4: 25-27:
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
Fast forward to middle age, and I am pretty much set in my ways as a single person and probably would not adapt well to being in a relationship. I Corinthians 7 pretty much sums things up when suggesting ' it is good for a man not to marry'. I interpret this to mean there are people whom can accomplish things single that they might not be if otherwise married, a category in which I potentially fall into.
Romans 8:28 states 'and as we know that in all things God works for the good of those that love Him'. If you are like me you have faced circumstances in life so difficult and problematic in which we either do not understand or which that passage does not seem to make sense. Yet, I find Proverbs 20:24 to clear things up in terms of making a faith based statement: 'A man's goings are of the Lord; how then can man understand his way?'
2
(apparently this IS a hersheys kiss emoji) Theres a First time for everyone.
