Hmmm
Good giggle, Cabo, re: hot Women.
Our 37th year together is later this week. So, Da Wife and I talk about/joke about the Dating 'thing' should we ever wind up in that scenario. Plenty of our aging Pals do, so 'never say never'. I think I'll pass, however...
That said, I would date a Recovering Gal. To me, the commonality of Recovering is like both Parties having Crohn's Disease or Diabetes. In our case, we suffered together through a truly awful case of Whiplash. Our Attorney said that 2 Clients put a Gun to their Mouths to end the excruciating pain. Dig it. I understand that thinking. We're both pretty OK now. The ~2 years of incapacitation for just one of us would have been very hard for a healthy, unaffected Partner not in the Car Crash to deal with.
If I met a Gal who'd Rehabbed from a really bad Car Crash, or Whiplash, it would be much like the commonality of Alcohol Recovery. Or, so I thinks. What's the saying I've read here, and integrated into my thinking: 'Only an Addict understands another Addict'. The Parties might check one another against Drinking again. Kinda like sleeping with your Sponsor, eh? Hard to predict...
Meanwhile, there's Folks with Shopping or Gym Addictions. Or, all sorts of Baggage with their Relatives. So, I don't find Alcohol-related Baggage uniquely troubling. My experience is that it's a Big & Twisted World out there with all sorts of weirdness going on.
We kinda hit this topic in our House just a few days ago. Da Wife still doesn't 'get it' re: Sobriety. My rather-liberal Boundaries, which she knows will/are changing, confound and frustrate her. To Tears in this last go-round. Especially when I had to shut down - likely forever - wanting to Socialize as a 4-some with her Binge Drinking Gal Pal who I find uniquely obnoxious when hammered; especially after they both hit the Bong. These two could write the Book on being Codies to one another Drugging. Fortunately, that's a scenario that is not frequent; especially since I put the Kibosh on Dining with her & Hub even while drinking my Lemonade. My holding firm on my Boundaries has caused them to instead do Lunch. That keeps the Wine swilling and Bong hits in check. I figgered it would. Eff that scene. I don't need it in my Life. In a manner of speaking, I've told her to 'take it outside'.
Perhaps dealing with all this with a hypothetical Gal in Recovery could be more difficult, but I kinda doubt it. We're working through this stuff, and I could do it again if so inclined when dating in the future. I would be well into a Relationship before I would talk about my Alcohol/Sexual/Childhood history. Instead, I see myself solo on the California Coast in a lil Trailer with my Pooch while skipping the Geezer Dating Scene. It's been a good ride.