Gosh, online dating.
Now that is one for the books all right.
Here's a little about me: I have four kids, I love crafty things, and I am newish to being a full-fledged lesbo...okay, so, I came out in 2014, or, well, fully out in 2014—although everyone knew except my family...way before that. Oh, and, hi, I am awkward as fuck.
Yet some genius gave me a laptop and said, "Here, you get on this site and create yourself a profile!"
Thus begins my experience with online dating and let me tell you, I had some good, bad, and ugly experiences before I met the one that would hold the keys to our future...and that was even iffy for awhile!
So, shout out to OkCupid, because that, my friends, is where I met the one person who I would spend the rest of my life with and she even skipped over my profile multiple times before accidentally messaging me.
You see, there are some fine lines when it comes to profile creation.
First of all, you have to decide on what pictures you want others to see; you don't want to post that image of desperation, or too much boobage, or not enough boobage. Or do you look better hair up or down, smile with teeth or no? So many factors.
Once you have successfully posted that innocent girl-next-door looking selfie, you have to add a little glam and content to your page and answer chemistry questions so that they can successfully match you to people. A lot of times their matches are off by a long shot, so do not feel discouraged!
I can tell you one thing: it isn't attractive to say you live in your parents' basement, but if you make it to a first and second date, eventually you will have to tell this person because face it—if things go well, they may want to take you home!
Not many want to go to mom and dads!
Did I mention I was awkward?
Once you have successfully created a good profile with meat in the bio, you are all set. Then messages come pouring in, you get scary offers or those who don't get the hint that you aren't interested, but then that one person messages you and your heart skips a beat and you are ready to be in their arms forever.
True story: from the moment my fiance and I started messaging and then texting, if my phone went off, I got excited; if it wasn't her, sadness crept in.
Then she wanted to meet.
Oh shit, what if she's a serial killer?
My friends...at this point, meet in a public place!
After a week of dodging the bullet, we finally went out, and that week was almost a deal breaker, but thank goodness I whipped out my cuteness and won her over!
A month after we had first exchanged words, she drove me to The Rainbow House and proposed to me on the Westboro Baptist Church property right in front of the "God Hates Gays" sign. Almost three years later, we are as happy as the day we met. We have our ups and downs, but that's the same for any relationship.
The thing is, I was skeptical over online dating. "Oh, those things never work out," or, "I've never had any luck." And the thing is, my luck was on fire.
Online dating does work. It's a way to meet people that you otherwise wouldn't have likely met. You get to know a person through the conversation in writing, they can't see your facial reactions, and there is always the handy block button. Also, you don't have to worry about looking super hot! You can flirt in your PJs and they will never know unless you tell them...then that's on you!
Granted, there are scammers, bots, cheaters, prostitutes, serial killers and a whole list of people who utilize dating sites for the greater bad, but there are still those who are looking for love in all the wrong places who are hoping that this thing we call the Internet might give them another chance at love.
