Date men from United States / California / University Heights, 44 year old

Date single man from California, United States. I’m very interested in human relationships and am constantly aware of the dynamics of the way people relate to each other. What makes people feel the way the feel, say the things they say and act the way they do? We are all very complex with our own unique histories of emotional experiences and situations. We have all learned to deal with things by constructing our own coping mechanisms. I’ve known myself my whole life, but am still finding out new things about myself all the time – why do I get so shy? Why does it take so long for me to trust and share myself openly with people? Why do I live my life supporting the people I care about to the fullest possible extent while not feeling entirely comfortable letting others care for me in the same way? This isn’t meant to be a lecture – these are just some of the things I think about.
For a male, and an engineer at that, I think I’m unusually emotional and perceptive. I’m not afraid to cry and I do so frequently, which I’m not embarrassed about or afraid to share here. I don’t think that makes me any less of a man – I’d rather be this way than an emotionless robot. I really enjoy being around other people who are open with their emotions and are interested in forming deeper bonds. I can’t stand superficial conversations or relationships and would rather not bother. I’ve enjoyed a lot of great friendships/relationships throughout my life and the fact they haven’t all ended in happily-ever-after doesn’t diminish their value to me in any way. That’s just life.
I have 2 kids, aged 8 and 11. They mean more to me than anything in this world and I’m doing the best I can to nurture them and teach them about life, love and family. A big part of that is centered around cooking and sharing meals together. I’ve always admired the southern European tradition of getting the family together on a Sunday morning (not too early...) and spending many hours together enjoying a very relaxed, multi-course meal that can drag on until late afternoon. No TV. No e-mail. No Internet. My kids really love their food - they get genuinely excited about it. I love to see them truly enjoying a meal or discovering something new they’ve never eaten before.
If you enjoy cooking for your family and friends with a real passion for the food and the shared experience, then we will be friends forever. If you’re looking for someone real and un-pretentious who is capable of expressing emotions and can be supportive and really connected to you, then drop me a line. If you’re the kind of person who needs a man in their life to feel complete, you’re desperate to be married again or you have any other co-dependence issues, I’m not the guy for you. I’m in no hurry to get into a serious relationship – if it happens, I’m open to it, but that’s not my only reason for being here. I’m looking for people to form quality relationships with, even if we just become good friends. You can never have too many real friends. I’ve travelled a lot and lived in Australia (where I was born), Europe, Asia and now the US for extended periods. I would like to meet someone who has travelled a lot as well. I do understand that profile photos play a big part of anyone's success on these sites. Mine are not that good and I know it. I’m working on it slowly. But, to be honest, if ladies are not contacting me because of my photos, I’m totally OK with that.