Sunday, August 30, 2009

Internet Dating

Disclaimer: Internet dating has served a few of my friends. In fact, at least two of my guy friends have married their cyberlovers. One’s still in love, but the other gave his back.

I’ve always thought Internet dating was a freaky way to meet someone. I can imagine the headline: “Unsuspecting Girl Meets Clutter-Freak Psychopath via the Internet.” Considering I’m a mom, I am superselective about whom I drag home by the hair. And I probably wouldn’t knowingly date a guy who does iDating.

If by fat chance I were to meet someone, I’d probably be doing something I enjoy, such as eating in a decent restaurant, hiking, perusing in a bookstore, grocery shopping, socializing, shooting pool, singing, playing guitar, tasting wine, sitting in my hot tub, or writing.

As a matter of fact, I did meet someone, or something, in my tub and at the grocery store. More in upcoming stories.

But writing it was when I met my match.

In October 2008, I e-mailed a Neighborhood Watch update to about 66 neighbors in the area, many of whom I’ve never met but who have asked to be on my mailing list.

One kind person thanked me for my work and shared some insight about the neighborhood that I found valuable, so I e-mailed back, asking more questions. Well, that e-mail led to another and another, and we, quite innocently, started our relationship.

It turns out we had mutual friends and enemies, shared complementary problems, so we could help each other, and we encouraged each other as no one else would have. We have been open, honest, giving, sharing, and when we disagreed on a couple of issues, we recovered quickly.

It wasn’t until June 2009, when I needed professional advice on how to help a friend, that we finally spoke briefly on the phone.

But it’s as if we don’t want to break the spell, and we haven’t met in person. But I consider my iDating match Gayle a true friend, even if she isn’t a member of the opposite sex.

copyright © 2009 by Auntie Eartha. All rights reserved.

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http://auntieeartha.blogspot.com/2009/08/internet-dating.html

2 comments:

  1. We meet people in the strangest places. The internet has allowed us to meet more people in stranger places!

    ReplyDelete
  2. How is internet dating any different from meeting someone in; a restaurant, on a trail, in a bookstore or grocery store? When you spy a potential mate in the canned goods isle do you stop to chat? Can you discover his/her financial, social, spiritual standings there next to the creamed corn? I would guess not. Any chance meeting you suggested is simply that, a meeting. The internet can serve the same purpose, however, you can continue a cyber conversation in the safety of your own email. Granted, there is no requirement for honesty or integrity with aforementioned cyber-friend, but it is a beginning of sorts. You have an opportunity to decide, if you wish, to arrange a meeting in one of your safe places and continue your analysis in person.
    I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure psychopaths do eat, therefore, I contend that the grocery stores have just as many predators as the internet.

    BTW Auntie - how is it that your hot tub has so many strangers happening by for you to meet?

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