The Match game

So my friend is getting back into online dating. I did it years ago, and it was loads of fun.

One thing we both agree on is this - the way a profile is crafted can disclose a lot about the person. Not just the words they choose, but the words they don't choose. In polling a couple other friends, I've concluded that intelligent women, on the whole, associate certain words or phrases with specific characteristics. The end result? A fast sprint for the hills or stumbling over the keyboard to get a message out right quick.

Here are a few interpretations:

What he says: "I spend most weekends at the lake boating"
What he means: "I am still not a grown up, now get me a cold one and show me your t*ts."

What he says: "I like to play with children."
What he means: "I am trying to impress all of the women out there who have kids." This creeps most women out. Just tell us you'd like to have a family someday, that is as straightforward as it comes. Playing with children can have many connotations, thanks to MJ and the clergy.

What he says: "I enjoy watching sports (Cards, Blues, Rams) and going to games."
What he means: "Even though I list other things that I like, sports are number one. Now get me a cold one and move away from the television."

What he says: "I don't like women who are negative. I don't like women who have baggage."
What he means: "I have been burned before, and am jaded enough by the female species to state the obvious. I may be quite negative myself." Come on. We all want someone who's positive, it's a given. And we ALL have baggage - it's all in how you carry it. :-)

What he says: "I like to cuddle while listening to thunder storms and pet kittens."
What he means: "I copied these lines from other profiles, I have no imagination or depth, but I will write what I think you want to hear."

I realize this is a two-way street and many women use similar bad lines, but I'm only speaking from my experience.

If we get the storm tonight and I have time, I may post more interpretations and fabulous insight (ha).

Online Dating - recollections

I ran across a diary of sorts that I kept during my online dating days. It was fun reading about the fantastic, hilarious, horrendous, pathetic, and tricky situations that ensued from that endeavor. So much so, that I created a new blog to showcase these stories for whoever wants to read them.

Some are funny, some are not. Some are graphic, some very tame and gradeschool. All of the stories are true, and from my perspective.

Below is the beginning of my first post, with a redirect to the new blog. Enjoy...

Sage: The man, not the herb.

Having been a single girl in an interactive marketing career, it made perfect sense for me to try out the various online dating sites in the quest for my next soul mate.

The first site I ponied up to was Match.com. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of men, and I eagerly picked up those tongs and started loading my options onto my “all you can eat” plate. But I do have my standards (no wilted greenery for this gal) and I had my own set of rules that went into every selection I made.

To read more, go here.