We’ve all been there before. The nervousness and awkwardness of a blind

date, the painful realization that your date has about as much personality

as a sloth on valium, or that one date in everyone’s past that was so

unbearable that you would have rather stuck a butter knife in your left

eye than have to endure another hour with this person. At least that

way you can scope some eligible singles in the emergency room with your good eye. So

why do we keep putting ourselves in situations that are more times than not

uncomfortable and can have outcomes that scar us for life? It seems to me

that in the never-ending search for “the one” we will do almost anything in

hopes of meeting the right person. Personally, I am tired of blind dates, the

let down of a potentially great date and the embarrassing fowl-ups, so I

decided to do something about it and try something new. Enter online

dating.

It seems to me that the reason dating can be so difficult is because of the

"fear of the unknown" that accompanies meeting a potential mate. In a

society of cell phones, computers and a loss of human contact, why not take

advantage of what we have? Online dating can be a fun and exciting way to

meet thousands of potential mates in the privacy of your own home-or office.

For the guys, ask yourself if you have ever choked down sushi-despite your

disgust for uncooked sea creatures-just because you thought you might

potentially have something with this girl. Were the fish eggs sliding down

the back of your throat worth it? My guess is probably not, but at least

she was happy, right? For the ladies, how many hours of your life have been

wasted putting on your eyeliner, mascara, doing your hair (then re-doing

your hair), softening your skin, plucking your eyebrows, redoing your hair

because its flat now, stumbling out the front door in heels, running four

red lights-causing three accidents getting to the theater just on time, to

find out he isn’t there. Nor did he ever plan on being there since he got

back with his ex last week and neglected to tell you. It’s all too common,

and it’s getting old!

More and more people are turning to a pizza and beer in their underwear at

midnight, having a great conversation all through the morning, instead of

the unpredictability of a face to face in a time slot of a couple hours.

With online dating, we can pick and choose who is interesting to us, and as

we get to know this person better, we can decide if and when we are ready to

meet. If there is no attraction, just click the little X at the top right

corner of your screen, and move on! Now is the time to drink another beer,

eat another slice of onion and anchovy pizza, and move on to the next

eligible person. It’s amazing how easy it is to avoid an uncomfortable

situation online. If the chatting goes well, move on to talking on the

phone, and if that works out, you’re on your way to a great first meeting!

At this point you know he doesn’t like sushi-so make sure to meet for a

burger! Happy dating!