Available to a good home- one clean, house-broken, healthy, happy, attractive, self-cleaning female. Enjoys regular walks and hikes, traveling, the beach, reading, blue ridge mountains, chocolate in large amounts, a daily dose of Diet Dr Pepper, cheeseburgers, and days that end in Y. Requires occasional social outings, followed by a few private meetings, and a mutually agreed upon housing arrangement, before final commitment. Only serious offers will be entertained. Inquire within.
The First and Last Date
Picture this- I met a charming, interesting, intelligent, and good-looking man online. The kind of guy who appears to be so well put-together that you have to wonder why it is he is still single, and why he has to look online to meet women. (I like to think that men look at my profile and wonder why I am online as well.) We met on an LDS themed dating site. We talked on the phone. I liked what I heard. So we set up a date and went for it. The date went really well- right up to the end of the date. I was pretty sure I was game for a second date. After all, I’d had a good time. And then he dropped the bomb.
“Are you active in the Church?” He began the interrogation.
“Yes.” I smiled confidently.
“Are you temple-worthy?”
“Yes.” Again, I said with confidence.
“Where do you stand on sex?” He asked in complete sincerity.
“Um, I’m not sure I follow.” I replied completely confused by the question. Wasn’t this covered in my previous answers?
“Are you interested in having sex?” He said completely straight-faced.
“Um, you mean right now?” Bewildered doesn’t begin to cover it.
“Are you the type of girl who won’t have sex before marriage?” He clarified.
Wait, didn’t we just cover the part where I am temple worthy? I actively go to Church. My standards shouldn’t be very confusing seeing as we met on an LDS dating site. He’s even told me some mission stories. So why on earth would he be asking such a question??
He clarified further. He’s divorced. He has no intention of getting married again. But he still enjoys sex and dating. And if I’m only willing to engage in only one of those activities with him, he’s not interested. We said goodnight shortly thereafter, and there was never a second date.
That was the date that pretty much put the nail in the coffin for me. I’m burned out, tired, and over it. After nearly 20 years of dating, with not a lot of positive results, and no closer to the end goal than I was when I started, I’m done with it. Why bother? Are there any good ones left? And I know I’m not alone out there. There are a lot of “older” singles who just want to throw in the towel on dating. But we don’t, do we? We just sit around wondering how to make dating a positive experience again. Wondering and waiting for the perfect companion to suddenly materialize. And strangely, in spite of our jedi mind tricks to the contrary, it hardly ever happens.
The $30 Date Challenge
I’ve put a lot of thought into how we can make dating fun and interesting again. What would it take to make dating fun again (besides Prince Harry suddenly responding to my love letters)? And then it hit me- just one good night out. That is all it would take- just one, simple, positive date would restore my faith in the entire practice. So I came up with the $30 Date Challenge.
If you are sick and tired of dating, or haven’t had a date in over six months, I issue you this challenge- go on a $30 date this week and report back to me. Do whatever you want, with whomever you want, and however you want, as long as it fits into my simple rules-
