My parents were married to each other for 19 years, and when they divorced my father got remarried for seven years, and my mother remarried for eight. Since then, they've both been knee deep in the wonderful dating pool that so many people of all ages navigate through with varying degrees of success. Per the mother/son agreement I made my mother sign, I do not hear any of her dating stories directly, but I do know that she has mostly struck out on that front. My father and I have no such agreement, so I hear about his tales, but he's not as fulfilled as he'd like to be either.

When I talk to my parents about the challenges they face in dating, they both discuss how difficult it is to work someone into their lives. My mother and father are 58 and 59 respectively, and along the way they have picked up some good and bad habits I'm sure. Unlike people my age and younger who are will to change and conform a bit when someone new comes along, old(er) people are less flexible (literally and figuratively). And when two stubborn people attempt to connect for an extended period of time, there can be some difficulty. That's not to say that older people (for the purposes of this blog entry, older is defined as 55 and over) don't date, because I am quite sure they date, have kinky, sweaty sex, and do all...ok most of the things the youngsters do. That's just to say that based on my informal survey, not only do older folks have more challenges, but they have the "I don't want to die alone" issue hovering over their heads like an umbrella.

Which brings me to the Gores. Now, I understand that when you're married 40 years, it is quite possible that you both have had to deal with all issues great and small (shout out to James Herriot) and there have probably been some minor separations along the way. And the fact that they are separated and not yet divorced, means reconciliation is always a legitimate threat. I even understand that they were probably separated a lot longer than was made public. I get ALL that.

But come on man, you both are in your 60s, nature and gravity have started taking their toll, and nobody seriously wants either one of you. In 10 years or less, Al and Tipper Gore will spend the majority of their time talking about how things USED to be, and they will bore anyone within earshot about how their wonderful accomplishments and achievements. So why not do that with someone who was actually there? If you're Al Gore, don't you want you wife of 40 years around you when you're telling the other bingo participants that you invented the Internet? If you're Tipper Gore, don't you want Al Gore around when you tell the other members of the geriatric women's club that you tried (and failed) to take on rap music 25 years ago, but its now profane and nastier than you ever could have imagined?

Its one thing to divorce and separate in your 40s or early 50s (like my parents) when you still have a good 20-30 years of sanity left. But in your early 60s? Really Al and Tipper? I will say this though, if you both get remarried and let some sex tapes leak further cementing your happiness, then I will type a passionate rebuttal. I'm not holding my breath though.

If you have some time today, click right here and listen to me and my main Ryan talk about the upcoming NBA finals.

Love Will Find A Way - Lionel Richie