What happened to the, “Will you go to dinner with me? I’ll pick you up at 8:00,” type of dates? The kind that you go on before you start dating to see if you’re actually interested in someone. The kind that make you sweat and cause your place to look like a tornado plowed through your apartment because nothing you put on looked good enough. The kind that make you nervous because you’re still on the fence about how you feel about the other person. They sound horrible. But, regardless of your current relationship status, first date stories are amazing.
Think about older generations and how your grandparents met before texting and Twitter DMs. They picked each other up in their old beat-up trucks or their mom’s station wagon and went to drive-in movies and out for milkshakes. And now, 50-plus years later, they’re still in love. Sure, older couples bicker and gripe, but at the end of the day they’re still coming home to the same person who has been there for them for the past 50 years. They don’t know how to live without each other because their lives have become so integrated. And it all started with a first date.
The other day I was having a conversation with a friend who is in a relationship, and we came to the conclusion that almost no one goes on first dates anymore. People get interested in each other, start snap chatting and/or texting, hangout a few times, and then start dating. There is no longer a point in the process where you meet for coffee or go out to dinner to find out what they like, the weird things they were into as a kid, or if they snort when they laugh. All of these things come later now.
When was the last time you or someone you know went on a blind date? It’s almost old fashion and mundane. People nowadays meet someone at a bar, hook-up and then date a few weeks later, if you’re lucky. Our parents used to go on blind dates because Billy who your dad worked with knew a girl or had a cousin that was single and maybe they ended up together, and now you’re here.
Living in a dating world of getting “catfished” because of fake Tinder profiles and stalking people on Facebook is the norm, but how much can you really learn from a person over an app? How tall are they actually? What does their voice sound like? Do they chew with their mouth open?
All of these things could be figured out with one simple date that starts out a little awkward, but if it goes well you both warm up to each other and have a good time. And if it stays awkward, then at least you’re eating a good meal and will have a good story to tell your best friend the second you get home.
