A single Texas man looking for love erected a giant billboard on a highway in November in order to help him find ‘a good woman.’
Contractor and fitness junkie Jim Bays, 66, came to Central Texas in June after moving his business down from Washington to get a fresh start.
Bays, who had previously been divorced twice and fathered five children, saw a giant billboard for a sale while driving on a Texas highway when he became inspired with the idea.
The billboard features Bays donning a cowboy hat reading ‘Wanted: A Good Woman. 50-55ish. For talks and walks and mutual acts of kindness.’ A phone number that goes to a specially-created voice mail box is also included.
Since the board was put up in November, Bays said he has gone on four or five dates but said he still believes he hasn’t found the right one yet. He has also received two dozen voicemails.
He had originally attempted to meet women using dating apps but had no such luck as he felt it did not present someone’s authentic personality and had trouble coordinating dates with his busy schedule as he works six days a week.
‘It’s not like when you were in high school and it’s easy to meet somebody,’ Bays told Austonia.
‘How do you meet somebody that’s on the same page? How do you create the number of accidents that need to happen in order for you to meet somebody that you really mix well with?’
He had been married twice before and now recognizes what he wants in a new relationship for himself and his partner.
‘My first wife, I loved her to death and she loved me too, but we were two generals in the house, two leaders in the house,’ he said.
‘We were always butting heads because of that. I think my first wife married a boy. She wanted a man but she married a boy.’
He had been married to his first wife for eight years and then 19 for his second.
‘Looking back on it, I’m in a real stressful business and it takes up a lot of my time,’ he told KXAN.
‘I think I shot myself in the foot. Oh well, life is life. Live and learn.’
Bays is also the father of five children, between the ages of 12 to 41, and had also kept them busy as he enrolled his daughters in dance classes.
‘I wanted to get them involved in something that taught them how to work hard and get to be good at something,’ he said.
‘It also took them away from me when I had an opportunity because my projects own me until I’m done.
‘I think what happened was, I got my kids and my wife too busy and then they didn’t have time for me when I had time because they were busy.’
Bays has since decided to put his boyish ways behind and look for his ideal woman who is determined, and independent and of course a bit on the younger side.
When asked about who the woman of his dreams is, he did not hold back in revealing his top candidate.
‘Jennifer Aniston’s not bad,’ he jokingly remarked. ‘I’m kidding…a little bit.’
As his billboard states, however, he is simply just looking for a little ‘kindness.’
‘I’m just looking for a nice woman to spend the rest of my days walking talking and doing kindnesses,’ he told KXAN.
