I’m working from home today since the kids are snoozing in, enjoying their spring break week. Logging onto my computer, the Today show team discusses “the future of dating in a digital world” and I half-listen, half-curse at my grandaddy-of-a-laptop cranking slowly.
I’ve been married for fifteen years this May, so the concept dating would be lost on me were it not for my single friends who keep me abreast of the pitfalls of finding love in a world laden with Type-A’s, social media and baby-clocks a-ticking.
Having a cocktail with a friend the other night after work we witnessed a real live “Match Meetup” where singles using Match.com are able to meet IRL (in real life). The scene was awkward at best. Sweaty-palmed young men sauntered into the back room where cute-yet-insecure young girls stood, surely trying not to feel like sausages in a meat market.
It’s tough not to internalize these situations. When I met my husband there was a BAG PHONE in my car (suppress laughter here please) and cell phones were unheard of. There was no Facebook. We found dating possibilities the old-fashioned way: at church.
Kidding . . .we met at a bar.
There was no way for me to research this man who would be my future husband online (and
certainly not wink at him on Match), we actually exchanged paper business cards, and days later he called me at work on a phone with an actual curled long cord. (My computer boasted a black screen with yellow text and images, there were no “Windows” and I had on an actual business suit and heels. But I digress.)
I’m thankful that I didn’t have to date in this digitally-intense environment (and I loves me some social media).
Yep, that’s us circa 1998.
It was fun to talk on the phone, talking for hours to learn more about each other instead of Googling for details on where he held jobs. We went to dinner, saw movies and had parties with friends without ever snapping a photo from a phone, posting an update to Twitter or liking someone’s status (unless we told them so verbally, of course.) It was a magical time that I recall fondly as we barely look up from our iPhone calendars to make sure the kids’ activity schedules are straight.
My heart and plenty of well-wishes go out to those dating in 2013, especially parents who have a whole other layer of sensitive stuff to deal with. My advice? Ditch the phone (as painful as it may be), get crazy and just talk. Have a question about his or her past? Ask each other. After all, before there were iPhone and Google there were conversations.
And now, I’m going to get on my dinosaur and ride away.
Want to check out digital dating options? There’s a dating app for that.
