I guess she did was told "don't settle" and ended up left standing without a chair to sit in when the music stopped. I know too many people like this person.
"Settle": to marry somebody whose status is below what you think you deserve. Unspoken and unexamined is whether SHE is somebody who Prince Charming would pick as the best HE can attract.
At a company I used to work for, the boss's secretary was thoroughly gorgeous. She said she wanted to marry a wealthy CEO, and would not settle for less.
Years later, I met her again. She was 40-something, unmarried, and working as a waitress.
I’m 45 and just split from my wife. I’ve been with my wife since she was 17 and this is the last thing I ever wanted. I’ve never strayed. I’ve only been with her. Now I have to start over and I’m dreading it. It’s not the money. I make plenty of it and the divorce is so far amicable. It’s not physical. I work out everyday and have been told I’m decent looking. It’s that the entire dating thing is foreign to me. It makes me tired thinking about the whole dating process. I’ve also found that I kinda like being alone at home which I also find a tad scary. I don’t want to end up alone. I woke up late last night wondering how the hell at 45 do I find myself single and essentially homeless because we just sold our house. Do I join a dating app? Do I go to bars? Where do I start?
My circumstance compared to the lady in the articles circumstances are different but ultimately we are in the same place. Older and single. I understand her fear.