Just ask Miriam Steiner, 93, and Harold Sharlin, 90, below, who met for a blind date in Washington, D.C. book store Politics & Prose.
No, they didn’t swipe right on Tinder – this was an old-fashioned set-up in every way imaginable.
Harold’s granddaughter Jenny met Miriam while waiting tables in a restaurant.
So impressed with Miriam’s “pep and vigour”, she asked if she’d like to go on a date with her grandfather.
The widow hadn’t dated since losing her husband in 1999. “I loved him, and I didn’t look for anyone else after that,” she explains. “But I said, all right, what have I got to lose?”
Harold, who lost his own wife in 1998 and has dated on and off since, called the next day.
The two made plans to meet for lunch at Politics & Prose, which is also a cafe, and Harold’s favourite hangout.
Upon arrival, a nervous Miriam tipped off the info desk that she was meeting a date.
After catching sight of the twosome, the smitten staff asked if they would be willing to pose for a photo, which has since gone viral on Facebook.
“We spent the whole afternoon together,” says Harold.
“It was very pleasant,” adds Miriam.
While the two aren’t sure if the relationship has a future, they’re both glad to have taken the chance to meet someone new.
“I’m a conversationalist,” says Harold. “I like to sit and talk. I like having a woman in my life.”
And Miriam isn’t surprised that others are so taken with their story. “It’s very unusual,” she says. “We’re both in our 90s. We’re both handicapped. Neither of us drive.
“It’s not easy, making connections as a senior. But we need it. It’s up there with Medicare and Social Security. I hope people remember that.”
