Having Great Goddamned Expectations

It seems to me that there’s a sort of swinger equilibrium that can be achieved after a few years that I am only just now beginning to understand; that of managing expectations, and being able to say the words “No Expectations” to potential play partners. For a long time this has been a struggle for me. I’ve found myself with intense desires revolving around potential playmates that lead to high level disappointment when these relationships don’t progress, or turn out to be one nighters, or simply don’t have the same level of involvement (emotional or physical) as Marilyn and I are offering.

It can become especially true when I feel a strong intellectual connection at our first meeting. When we’ve had a good talk, when we’ve flirted, when I think it’s going really well only to find…well, Coop, may have misunderstood that one… Because rather than assume that the issue is something on their end that caused the dynamic change, I’ve usually turned it inward into a “What did we do wrong?” spiral. And even as I’ve done this, I can see it’s most definitely not the healthy way to go.

Case in point. We met some newbies at our local swinger friendly bar on swinger nite. We had a couple of drinks and some good conversation, established baseline mutual interests, and there was a reasonable assumption of four way attraction, judging by the way they both looked at Marilyn and the tongue she kept pushing down my throat. As we call it a night, they insist that we’ll have to get together soon, mentioning reconnecting multiple times. So we go home, and, high on the excitement of potential, drop them a line on the swing site we all use…

Nothing…

Email read, no response. So we go over it all in our heads, looking for the fissure, the thing that changed everything, and this was one of those cases that we couldn’t pinpoint anything we could’ve done to take it from “we DEFINITELY have to get together…kiss me!” to no response. Friends, after hearing about the situation said we should chalk it up to newbies being newbies. They are, after all, notorious for flaking out/changing minds/being incosiderate (did I mention I like newbies?). But the advice was just don’t let it get to us.

And our friends were right…let it go…not us…etc.

But we’d seen so much potential in that interaction. We were close in age, both had no kids, looking for the same things out of the lifestyle: Friends With Benefits, and they’d obviously been into us in the moment. So it was a bummer to say the very least when we finally did hear from them with a “we’re new and didn’t know how to respond to you guys being interested in us. I don’t think we’re looking to date right now…”

So, why tell you this story?

Because we could’ve just as easily not obsessed with any of it. Stuck with the “No Expectations” mantra. And I say just as easily when this idea is anything but easy. Especially at the beginning. We still have the rejection equals bad mentality of the general dating scene where we search for a mate. As a swinger, rejection is part of life, part of the game. Show me a swinger who doesn’t get rejected and I’ll point out that you have nothing in your hands but a figment of your own imagination. That’s what the “No Expectations” realization is all about. Looking at every potential meeting as “cool people that we met one time” instead of “really bitchin’ people we want to be best friends with and fuck for the rest of our lives.”

This was about six months ago now, and in the interim, I’ve been working hard to find that “No Expectations” paradigm. It’s elusive, to be sure, but when we make plans now, we don’t assume sex any longer. The best no expectations suggestion that I’ve heard is when going out on a first date with other swingers, all you should expect is a great dinner-date with your significant other. That way, even a full fledged flake out and stand up can’t muck up your evening. If they show up and you don’t click, you got to meet new people. If you click, new friends. If you click and play, you had a great night together.

This way, if you manage to make that elusive four way connection and take it all the way to swingtown with multiple dates and a (dare I say the R word) relationship, it’ll be the ice cream on top of that brownie sundae. (I don’t usually use food metaphors…guess I just want dessert.)

This is, of course, far easier said than done. And seems to be a skill set that shows up after the couple has spent some time in the lifestyle. I think that this is due to some of the “wait, you mean we can really fuck other people?” novelty wearing off. Once you’ve really for real come to terms with this lifestyle, what it is, and the wonders it affords you, you’ll find it opens itself up to you in MANY strange and interesting ways; from the ability to dramatically lower expectations (with the goal of eliminating them almost entirely) to the ability to partake in more advanced swing-play, like separate rooms and even solo dates.

It seems to be an overall mellowing mindset that settles in between one and five years as a swinger, allowing you to push your boundaries, explore your kinks and fetishes, stomp jealousy down into an ever smaller container, and all but eliminate expectations. Because once we do that, EVERYTHING is simply about having fun.