I'm in my 40s and I've spent the past decade+ dodging ladies who want a daddy, even though they are my own age.

I never encountered any of this in my 10s/20s, people just wanted a normal partnership/friendship type of relationship. I miss it so much. I'd kill to meet a girl like my LTR in my mid/late twenties... but part of why we broke up is she basically went from being a independent and successful to demanding I pay her bills for her because she shouldn't have to pay bills because she is a girl...