Dinner. Companion.

Somewhere between the entrée and the main, we found ourselves talking about relationships — not just the surface-level kind, but the deeper layers: connection, intimacy, and the challenges people face today.

Linda was genuinely intrigued when I shared my perspective on intimacy and how different it is from what many men are taught. We talked about how common it is for men to turn to online content as a substitute for connection, how it can distort expectations, overwhelm the brain’s dopamine pathways, and pull people away from real emotional closeness. It’s something I’ve always felt strongly about — not from judgment, but from understanding how easily people can drift toward substitutes when what they truly need is genuine connection.

My father taught me the value of gentle touch, presence, and emotional closeness. That intimacy isn’t about rushing toward an outcome, but about the quiet, meaningful moments — the connection, the attention, the shared presence. How appreciating another person, being fully in the moment, can create something far more powerful than anything hurried or superficial. Discovering that changed me as a man and shaped how I show up in relationships.

PS : If you are looking for a dinner companion with James please feel free to give him a call.  Men and women welcome.