noglider 

No, you got me wrong. No one hits on me. Or if they do, I don't notice. Flirting is fine, as long as everyone knows it's not serious. I don't take a chance at it, though.

The only flirtation I get is when I walk my dog in the city. She's an old greyhound with a striking appearance and demeanor. Young couples go on dates in my neighborhood, as we have lots of restaurants and shops which attract tourists. Typically, the woman approach me asking to greet the dog, and they fawn over my dog. I think they're really hoping to see how their boyfriends react, to see how much nurturing they have in their natures. I see it as some kind of mating ritual, and I'm happy to play a part in it, especially because I'm not going to win or lose. The couples are often at least a little drunk, though it's more visible with the women. My dog stands perfectly still and doesn't look at people when they pet her, and people take this to be sweetness, which intensifies the fawning.

When high school or college women -- or men! -- get embarrassed in front of me, I realize whatever pain they're going through is worse than any of mine, so I can relax. If it helps to pretend not to notice them, I do that. The City is a very crowded place and even more so than before. We are all practiced at pretending not to see each other, so the dog greeting thing is a sharp exception to the usual behavior.