HOW DO I HANDLE BEING A KLUTZ IN A FAMILY OF ATHLETES?

DEAR DALI MAMA:

I am not athletic but I come from a family of athletes—my dad is a coach and my mom was a cheerleader and my brothers and sisters are each superstars in more than one sport. I feel I was switched at birth or am experiencing some sort of cosmic joke. How do I handle this?

—Two Left Feet (United States)

DEAR T.L.F.:

Even if sports are not your forte, no doubt you have some unique gifts you can focus on and develop. Not everyone needs to be a track star or football player or cheerleader or volleyball player.

I do encourage you, however, to find something you love doing that involves moving your body and make it your own—doing it for your strength and cardiovascular health and mobility, whether that’s yoga and zumba or dancing around in your room to your favorite songs or using free weights. That will give your body the support and attention it needs with the sole purpose of honoring and maintaining your physical vessel so you can continue to do all the things you love with ease and comfort.

Good for you for following the beat of your own drums! Have fun with it!

ARE CERTAIN PROFESSIONS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE MEN WITH A STRONG SEX DRIVE OR WHO ARE GOOD IN BED?

DEAR DALI MAMA:

I spent many years in a sexless marriage and am newly divorced. Could you tell me, is there a profession or professions that typically have men with more of a sex drive and/or that are good in bed? Because if there is, I want to date someone in that profession.

–SINGLE WOMAN IN HER 30’S

DEAR SINGLE:

Sexuality is a complex aspect of self so there are no hard (ha ha, yes, pun intended) rules as far as men in a certain profession. There are very sensual engineers and ardent accountants, so prevailing stereotypes are false (as are all stereotypes inherently).

I suggest having a conversation early on (before you sleep with someone but definitely way before you’re either getting undressed or are already naked!) about your individual priorities regarding sex. If you’re getting along well with someone and it’s a huge priority for you but not at all a priority for them (like maybe they’re happy having sex once a month or not at all), you both know right away that is an issue and you both have a chance to evaluate whether the compatible areas outweigh the differences in opinions about sex—frequency, quality, styles, etc.

Another option is getting a reading to determine your sexual and other compatibilities before the relationship progresses too far. But a general conversation on the topic is still important. And of course, certain factors may affect someone’s sex drive temporarily—stress, medications, illness, energy levels, etc.

When you’re on a first date, notice too how he eats. Does he savor each bite or does he wolf things down with one eye on the sports channel and the other on his smartphone?

Also, is he in a job where he can move a lot or is he in a desk job but goes for walks or goes to the gym? Men who exercise may tend to be healthier, which can sometimes translate into a healthy sex drive. Also, men who drink too much or do drugs may sometimes have impaired sexual function.

Personally, I have noticed that people who are doing in life what they love seem to generally have strong sex drives. This is true but not limited to many creative types. Some artists and musicians and chefs (yes, chefs) are quite delightful in bed. But then again, chefs or musicians or artists who are very in their heads (but the upper heads and not the lower heads—oh I am on a roll today, just cracking myself up) and more oriented to technical details without the energy or heart of the music or art or food, may sometimes reflect similar propensities in their lovemaking as well. Athletes can sometimes be a lot of fun, too, and tend to have lots of stamina.

In any case, for every person out there, there are a number of great matches for them, and of course certain partners may bring out certain aspects of their sexuality more than others simply because of the chemistry of that particular relationship combination.

For every person who finds it ideal to have sex once a month, there are a number of people who would be equally happy with this arrangement. It’s just a matter of finding someone with compatible needs.

NOTE: I invite you to write in with your own question, either in the Comments section or by emailing askdalimama@gmail.com. THanks for joining us today and every day, readers!

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