There is a huge stigma surrounding blind dates. Very few people in their 20s have even been on one before, thanks to the horror stories that movies and television shows tell about them.
People my age would actually much rather go hang around the local bar or try their hand at online dating than have a friend set them up on a blind date. Has it really gotten to the point where the thought of meeting someone we haven't been able to excessively stalk on social media is more frightening or desperate than trying to find a significant other on a Thursday night at CDB's?
Don't get me wrong, I get it; your date could end up being a total weirdo. That can happen regardless though, as profiles can be deceiving and bars are just as 'hit or miss' as a blind date would be.
Besides, the concept of a blind date is having a friend set you up. Unless your friend has a twisted sense of humor (which some of mine, definitely do), odds are they'll pick someone who they know you'll find a few things in common with. There is really no harm in trying though.
I have been on a blind date.
Guess what happened? My mutual friend set me up with one of his friends. My friend gave him my number and my first name, we texted for about five minutes to set up a date, and then we went to dinner the next day. It wasn't weird or awkward. I didn't have to excuse myself to the bathroom and climb out of the window so I could escape via my roommate's car.
Instead, I had the opportunity to talk to him and get to know him without hiding behind a phone or computer screen. I could hear him without us having to yell and I didn't have to worry about beer being splashed on me at any given moment. We talked about experiences we had instead of guessing at the stories behind each others Instagram pictures and he remembered not only my name but those same stories the next morning! It was a real date; the way first dates should be.
No, he did not end up being the love of my life. We went on a few more dates over the span of the next month and a half, and then decided we would be better off as just friends.
What did happen though, is a change of perspective. Growing up in a world where technology is the go-to is not a bad thing by any means. It's amazing how easy it is to meet and connect with people, but I've learned it's nice to not know the background of a guy before it comes up naturally in conversation. I never realized just how much what I thought I knew about a person influenced me on a first date.
