u/RecordingAgile4625

I really deeply genuinely hate that I am on the internet asking this at 32 fucking years old but I can't get out of my own head so I figured I would just put it out there.

I know that everyone's timelines are different but is there a rough estimate of how long you should be in the "talking" stage before you can start to expect someone to become official with you?

I have had 2 long term relationships the past 8 years (4 years each) and I'm in my 30s now and don't know how these things work anymore. It's been a month, which I understand is not long, and I want to ask this guy if he is just messing around/wants to be friends only (which is valid - everyone is allowed to want what they want) or if he wants a relationship with me but I don't want to risk giving him the ick because I really like him.

(This is embarrassing, I feel like a teenager. I'll probably delete this in 5 minutes!)

Any advice helps. I am not getting any younger and do not want to waste time with someone who is unserious because I would like to actually get married someday if at all possible!

EDIT for more context: We have been talking a little over a month (we knew each other for years and reconnected recently) and have seen each other every weekend. We have gone on dates, been to each other's houses, kissed, held hands, call each other pet names, we talk on the phone every day and check in with each other through text throughout the day. He has told me he has a history of ending things with people before it gets serious because he has been burned in the past so that's what I am nervous about I guess, I don't want to get my hopes up.

Hi everyone!

I work in a small office with 5 other people and we have one specific coworker who genuinely never stops talking. Some days (like today) he is standing in my office waiting for me to arrive so he can start talking to me before I can even put my purse down. Often times the first thing to come out of his mouth is something pessimistic and some of us don't enjoy starting our work days off on the wrong foot.

Everyone else in the office is so tired of the constant jabber jawing about anything and everything but I don't think anyone knows a good way of telling him to cut it out.

It doesn't matter if I am elbow deep in work he will stand in my doorway and just talk about the most random stuff that has nothing to do with anything.

I. Am. Tired. My ears are tired. My brain is tired.

Is there anything that can be done or do we all just have to put up with it?

Editing to add that this coworker is actually the manager which makes it harder to tell him to shut up.