"Online dating is like a box of chocolates, sometimes you bite off more than you can chew, and often it is chocked full of nuts."~Anonymous
So I've been fearlessly working undercover in the online dating world, (on behalf of all my friends of course) and I have come to find that digital matchmaking makes romance a whole new ball game.
I've tried Match.com... wasn't impressed... seemed to attract alot of hormonally charged types (not that there is anything wrong with that, but it's not what I am looking for personally and I really don't feel up to shelling out a monthly fee for that kind of nonsense).
I have done the eHarmony thing (all for the greater good of humanity mind you)... had a little success, but not the kind they constantly boast about. (I have serious doubts that some computer database will really be able to figure me out well enough to pick the man of my dreams based on the hundreds (literally) of vague questions.) Plus you have to shell out annually or pay an outrageous monthly fee... going to bars would be cheaper and probably less time consuming.
So now on to OKcupid.com. A couple things I things I do like about this site... it's completely free, and I am in control of almost ever aspect of my matching. Ok then. Now we are rolling...
Except, I felt the need to try online to find a good conversationalist because I (I mean my friend) was having bad luck in person.... but online makes it a whole lot trickier to read a person, or really get to know one at all. With online dating you go completely on the honor system... and you definitely don't always know what you're gonna get.
Let me tell you a story entitled "Night-Mare"
There was this girl... let's call her "Gidget" who met this guy from an online dating site. At first things were going ok. They went to a movie, it was good... then they had dinner and things got weird... Gidget thought "get me outta here" and "geez my waiter is cute" as the conversation turned to opinions on assisted suicide, legalizing marijuana, how many sports injuries you've inflicted on others (with detailed descriptions)... and other non-first date topics. Needless to say Gidget will not be repeating the experience, although upon relaying it to friends and co-workers she was the highlight of their afternoon.
Online dating is not to be taken lightly. Be safe, meet in public places, drive separately... know your blood-type (I'm joking people). Will "Gidget" continue online dating? Probably, where else will she get stories like that? As for this undercover dater (yeah like we're two separate people, just let me have my charade)... I will remain cautiously hopeful that there are good online daters out there.
