Wow, the response to my column has been tremendous, and I would like to thank everyone for the feedback. I received lots of great comments from both sides. Oh, and the constant ribbing I am getting from a lot of people at work, makes this even more fun. So now I would like to share an “Internet dating experience,” my first Internet date. I was just browsing the Internet one day in a Galaxy far, far away when a pop up said, “Try this dating site for free!” So after I signed up I was able to browse photos of women near and far, I narrowed it down to Santa Clarita. As I was looking, I felt like a kid in a candy store, so much to choose from. I decided to “wink” at this woman, which means to just say “Hi.” She winked back. Now, we emailed back and forth a couple times and set up a date for drinks at a local place. She only had one photo, a headshot. Her profile said, brunette, brown eyes, and athletic build. Looking for a “LTR.” I thought it meant to write her a Letter? Yeah I now know, “long-term relationship.”
The day of the date, I was a little excited and nervous, because this was a first for me. I arrived 10 minutes early and waited in the lobby for her. Every time I saw a woman walk in I wondered if that might be her; but with only the one picture, and a little grainy at that, I just was not sure what to expect. Now 10 minutes pass and I knew she would be there soon. The door opened and a very nice looking lady walked in, she looked over and smiled. I thought wow this could be her, but she walked right by and met her friends at the bar. The door opened again, I glanced and said, “Another false alarm,” and she looked over and said, “Paul?” I felt like Wile-E-Coyote, when his eyes bug out and his jaw hits the floor. She looked absolutely nothing like her photo. That photo must have been at least 10 years old, and the athletic and toned part too. She looked like she could start at right tackle for the Rams. My mind was going a mile a second, what should I do? Should I ask her why she had to lie? Should I excuse myself to the bathroom and sneak out? I just decided to make the best of this and have a drink. We talked, but not about her lies. She did have a great personality. We finished our drinks and then it was time to leave. She thanked me, we shook hands and left. As I drove home I wondered if this was the norm of Internet dating. Since then, I have found this to be true and false. Please, if you want a good first date and maybe even a second date, put down who you are today, ‘cause that is who we meet, not who you were 10 to 20 years ago. This goes for both women, and men.
Okay, I have been asked where to go to meet singles in Santa Clarita, so I am asking for feedback from readers on the best places to meet singles in SCV. I will put the top three in my next column. Oh, and please don’t just say, “a bar.”
Write your questions, comments, and feedback to Paul at
scvsingle@yahoo.com.