53: Dating at This Age

(00:00:00) Cold Open: Do I Still Have It? (00:00:31) Dating in Our 50s (00:04:20) Why This Conversation, Why Now (00:06:29) David: From Casual to Exclusive (00:16:14) Jamal: What Dating Taught Me (00:30:01) Divorce Is Loss Too (00:40:57) What I Had to Unlearn (00:47:54) What Surprised Us (00:58:20) What Actually Helps (01:03:27) The Life We're Choosing (01:05:23) Your Turn: What Do You Wish You Knew? Episode 53: Dating at This Age Dating in your 50s is a whole different experience. The apps, the expectations, the awkward first dates, and the realization that neither person is starting with a blank slate. You're bringing years of experiences, relationships, families, routines, and a much clearer idea of what you want. At least, that's the hope. In this episode of Getting Back Up, Jamal and David get candid about dating and finding love again later in life. David shares his experience navigating a new relationship and what it means to move from casual dating toward commitment, while Jamal reflects on the lessons he learned dating again before remarrying. They explore the humor, surprises, and challenges of building relationships when both people have lived full lives before meeting each other. From balancing independence with intimacy to understanding a partner's past without comparing it to your own, this conversation isn't just for widowers. It's for anyone navigating dating after divorce, loss, or simply starting a new chapter. We're not starting over. We're starting with experience. Getting Back Up: Finding Life After Death is a podcast that explores the raw, unfiltered reality of surviving profound personal loss—and finding a way forward. The idea for the podcast was born after David and Jamal met in 2023. Both widowers, who had lost their wives to cancer, quickly found a deep connection through multiple conversations about pain, perseverance, and parenthood. They realized that while men often bond over music, sports, or TV, they rarely speak candidly about loss or emotional recovery. Getting Back Up was created to change that narrative—blending the everyday with the existential in a format that’s as relatable as it is real. Getting knocked down is part of life. Getting back up is how we live. Hosts: David McClain & Jamal Jones Executive Director: Marlon Jackson Editing: Marlon Jackson Music:Grenada, "Treasure"McDonald, Otis, "Phife for Life", otismusic.com