Have you been looking for love in all the wrong places? It’s hard to meet Mr. Right when you’re spending all your time working (or training for a career) and you’re too smart to consider the guys at work as dating material. If you’ve been too busy keeping up with a career to keep up a social life, you may have found yourself eating far too many frozen dinners for one and wondering how you ended up alone. The question is: just what can you do about it?
Can you find LOL? (Love On Line)
Dating in the 21st century is a whole new ballgame from what it was even just a decade past.
Technology is growing exponentially to the point that everything moves at the speed of light and the capabilities of the digital universe have already bypassed the imaginings of science fiction writers. You can join one of a zillion online dating services that will filter through the entire scope of a potential date’s personality, compatibility and qualifications in a nano-second and pop-up a picture of your dream lover the instant that you finish filling in your questionnaire.
You can join an online dating service and basically let the internet find a man for you. That’s quick and easy, right? But is love really supposed to be quick and easy? As a society we have virtually handed over control of our entire lives to our computers and we believe we have become such an advanced civilization. However, there really isn’t much difference in on-line dating and the pre-arranged marriages from olden times. What’s the difference in allowing your parents or the village matchmaker to select your mate for you than in letting the computer do it?
That is not to say that technology is a bad thing. Of course not. But there’s a lot to be said for old-fashioned romance, and finding someone to love should be worth the effort. So you can hope your future lover is floating around somewhere in the virtual world just waiting for you to click on him, or maybe you could try to put a little effort into finding Mr. Right.
So try this: step away from the laptop and look a little further afield than your computer screen. Get out into the world, be a little more aware of your surroundings, take a look around and maybe actually look someone in the eye…strike up a conversation…
Here are a few great places to meet someone new:
#5 The Bar Scene
We’re including bars because people do still meet each other all the time over drinks in crowded, noisy bars, taverns and nightclubs. However, bars are not the best places to get to know someone unless you just want a casual hookup. Sometimes a meeting in a bar actually evolves into a fulfilling relationship, but it isn’t easy to really learn anything about someone with loud music making conversation difficult. It can also be hard to gain the attention of an interesting-looking guy with tipsy bimbos traipsing around with all their assets on display while they select their evening’s lay.
If you want a real shot at finding a nice guy in a bar, avoid the weekend meat market at the trendy nightclub and instead try stopping in at the local neighborhood pub on a Wednesday afternoon. Share an appetizer platter and a few beers with your best girlfriend and take a look around. Pick up a handful of darts or a pool cue, (it’s like bait on a fish hook) and see what happens.
#4 Go Shopping
You really can bump into a cute guy in the produce department at your local grocery store. It may sound trite to roll your cart up next to a handsome hottie and ask him if he thinks your melons are ripe, but it could work. Just glance into his cart before you start flirting and make sure he isn’t buying something like baby food or tampons, which would indicate you’re too late.
Flea markets are another great place to meet an interesting man. So are music stores and book stores- definitely sporting goods stores. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with a guy when he’s looking at some antique furniture, or a record, a book or some kind of sports equipment.
#3 Clubbing
No- NOT nightclubs. We’ve already covered the futility of finding love on a crowded dance floor. The kind of clubbing we’re talking about is joining a club. This is a fantastic way to meet someone who shares a common interest with you. There are all kinds of clubs out there, so think of a couple of favorite hobbies and Google clubs. You can join a Health Club or a Book Club, or buy a museum membership and attend exhibit openings parties. Join an investment club and you can make new friends and money at the same time.
Church is kind of like a club, and one of the best places to meet a nice guy. Join the single’s group at your local church or volunteer for something like building a home for Habitat for Humanity or serving dinner at the soup kitchen. A man you meet in a humanitarian club is likely to be one of the good guys.
#2 It’s a Walk in the Park
Seriously. Take a walk in the park. Stroll along the paths of your neighborhood dog park and let your dog (or borrow a dog from a friend) make some introductions for you. Not a dog person? Just go to the park! Pick a sunny afternoon for a jog or a long walk. Convince a couple of friends to go throw a Frisbee with you or bring a picnic lunch. Toss your Frisbee at the feet of a guy who looks like he has potential, or sit on a bench near a likely-looking fellow and feed the squirrels.
#1 Go Back to School
No, you don’t have to re-live the high school years. But you could take a class at the local community college and find out Mr. Right likes the same things you do! Sign up for that photography class you’ve wanted to join, or take a class on Creative Writing. Take a yoga class, or a cooking class. You can learn something new and meet someone new all at once!
If you’ve been feeling lonely, it’s really up to you to make the effort to meet someone new. Get out there, keep your eyes open and don’t let opportunity pass you by.
