Oh 2015 here we are again...and again, and again.
It would seem that the more I date, the more I am genuinely happy being single. Im 34, and apparently I am the last woman on the planet who thinks she should be treated with respect and treated like she is special. I believe that relationships are built on trust, communication, and genuine effort. I know, I know.
With the advent of computers, smart phones, interwebs, and aps we have become so connected that we are absolutely disconnected from our fellow man. When is the last time you were with someone and you put your phone down without feeling the need to pick it up? When is the last time you looked into someones eyes and felt something? When is the last time you printed a picture from the 1000s you took today?
We are probably the most photographed people in history, and yet future generations will have very few actual pictures from the past. We can find everyone from all aspects of our life in a matter of seconds - a call, a message, a snapchat, or a text and yet we know nothing about one another. It is a sad, sad state.
That brings me to my point. I recently met a seemingly nice gentleman who had all the right answers, the sweetest compliments, and as a 32 year old male he had no baggage. A perfect catch, right? Wrong. So wrong. After talking for three weeks, we had our first date scheduled for lunch on Saturday. So excited!! We had been discussing more topics that the weather and how our days were, he sent sweet dream kissy faces, and I was sure I had found the last undamaged, thoughtful man on the planet. Boy was I wrong. Saturday morning as we were talking, I found out that my schedule had changed up a bit. His response "oh good, I didn't really want to get up and get showered or dressed up anyways. Here is my address, just come over and we can lay around and be lazy. We can order lunch to be delivered."
Much to my chagrin, he wasn't kidding and he absolutely saw no problem with his new request. While I believe that he meant it when he said he promised it wasn't a bad stunt to get me in bed, I still think it shows a lot about our current culture. I left him with the notion that I wasn't a 24 year old bimbo, drunk at a club and that I really wasn't interested in being a notch in his belt or a newspaper headline. Instead of apologizing and reassuring me he had the best of intentions for our future, he instead said "well if thats what you think of me, then that is your deal." Needless to say, I removed him from all forms of connection in my world.
So there it is. Dating 101 from the Millennials. It would appear a Tinder Match, quick text, pajamas, and take out are what is left of romance these days. Picking a girl up for a date, opening doors (including the car), picking up the tab, sending flowers, and getting dressed are really no longer part of the deal.
