Dating blunders create more experience dating
Dates that make you wonder why you’re dating make for good stories to share with friends.
I don’t know what 2006 was like for you, but for me it was a year filled with good friends, a couple tears, a measure of frustrations and a few valuable lessons learned — especially when it came to my dating life.
For me, 2006 was like a giant book of word jumbles — every date or relationship a little different from the one before, but just as frustrating when I could not figure them out.
Just like with the word jumbles, I’ve made a number of dating blunders. From clumsy spills on dates to inappropriate uses of technology, I’ve learned not to wear colours that accentuate the rich creamy colour of coffee and to always text responsibly. Although I’m a fan of using technology to enhance one’s dating options, it’s apparent to me that breaking it off with someone in a text message is not appropriate dating etiquette. Don’t worry, I realized this before committing the act, but the thought of texting “sorry this isn’t working” did cross my mind. Luckily, sense kicked in first, we talked it out instead, and I’ve vowed to always think before I text.
And just like years past, there have been dates this year that have made me question why I’m dating. Like the time my date spent three hours talking about his ex-girlfriend. She seemed like a very nice woman, but I learned more about her that evening than I did about my date. There have also been dates that made me wonder whether I really should be trying to expand my dating horizons, when all it seems to do is lead me down a path I’m not willing to explore. Earlier this year, I spent an evening over cocktails listening to my date tell me about his friend who is an erotic dancer, the lifestyle he (yes, I said he) leads and whether my date or I could ever see ourselves trying it.
But sometimes even when a first date has all the promise of leading to a second, bad timing or a reappearance of an ex-girlfriend are enough to bring your (OK, my) dating life to a crawl and give me time to realize the more I date, the more I learn and the more mistakes I’m able to blunder through.
So here’s to 2007 — a year for more dating tragedies and triumphs and a time to wipe the slate clean and start a dating year afresh. Now’s the time to reflect on dates gone by and realize at worst they make for good stories with friends and at best they lead to relationships worth exploring.
