Chance

On March 10th, I took a little bit of a chance. By which I mean I threw a bunch of personal info about myself up on the internet on a website called okcupid.com and created what I like to think of as my online dating spy. And she's pretty cool. Kind of like what I would be like if all of my communication took place with room for long pauses for consideration and multiple drafts. So pretty much my dream for all communication.

I'm looking at it as a social experiment. The way in which people can pretend like a handful of pictures and a couple short essays really tell you anything about each other. Of course, there is more to it than that, some sort of algorithm that works itself out based on your responses to questions...which are one of the most fun features of the site. I get to spend as much time as I want answering questions about what I believe and what I would want my ideal partner to also believe.

The part that I like the best, though, is that there is this one guy in particular that is hovering around my profile. By which I mean that for the last four or five days, he has looked at my profile each day. I look at his back to show him I'd be receptive, but I'm waiting to see what he is going to do. Because I think it is fun, first of all, but also kind of flattering, that he keeps coming back to check on me.

I am too romantic for this crap.

Here is my dilemma though. I think the idea of online dating is really really weird. And it has very little to do with any stigma that may or may not have existed regarding online dating. I'm not too big on being concerned about what other people think. Or, really, the people whose opinions I care about wouldn't look down on such activities. I just think it is weird, in terms of dating, to have a relationship with someone online and then trying to take it to a different medium. Like it will trick me into thinking I know someone whom I haven't even met.*

But I'd be interested in meeting my current hoverer, if he ever takes the next step (sending me a message). Mostly because he flies a helicopter for a living. Maybe I can get a ride?

So that is it. That's my big secret. Hope it lived up to the suspense I built!

* This "trickiness" DOES NOT apply to a certain friend I recently went on a Perkins date with. The circumstance of that relationship evolving are much different than this.