The Single Life

Ok…
I have to admit that I did something I thought I would never do. I signed up on one of those online dating places. Why? The obvious reason I guess. I rarely go out and have the chance to meet other people. I work with mostly women – the men there are all married with the exception of one who has been divorced now 3 times (not interested in going there!) I have heard many people tell me about their success stories online so I thought what do I have to lose?

The online dating world is a strange thing. Here are my thoughts:

1) I didn’t realize that there were so many different online dating companies. I also didn’t think that there would be so many people signed on to so many of them. (I guess that I also didn’t realize that there were so many desperate people out there!)
2) Did you know that on many of these sites you have to pay to use the site freely? One of the sites I visited was actually free. The people on there were crazy looking too. I mean there were pictures up there with people who I would be afraid to run across at night – heck – they would scare me in broad daylight. They were very scary looking, the posted pictures looked like WANTED posters! The sites that are not free have much more normal looking people.

Needless to say, I didn’t pay the money and join up. I am not about to spend anything on dating yet. That just makes me feel too desperate and I can’t rationalize spending money that way.

3) What do you do if you don’t pay? Not a whole lot. You can look around the profiles but you can’t receive any mail from people that read your profile and e-mail you. It is dangled in front of you though with the reminder that you can read it if you pay! The one thing you can do is receive Instant Messages from people who see you online at the time you are on.

4) What, if anything, is true? I really couldn’t tell you. Who knows? Are people posting real pictures of themselves? Why are picture posted at all – does it really matter what you look like?
5) An experience: I was Instant Messaged on Sunday and I didn’t respond – I chickened out. Today I was instant messaged again. WHY did I respond this time? Here is the synopsis of the guy who Im’d me: Supposedly lives in NY but in London on business. (I guess I am supposed to be impressed) He wasted no time in telling me that “enjoyment without a woman is like working in the dark.” (How corny!) Come on, it is just like going out to a club - Weird.

Being single is definitely awkward. Lots of married people or people who are in relationships tell me “thank goodness that I am not single – it is rough out there.”

Gee thanks! Tell me something I don’t know!