Internet dating...enter at your own risk.

Dating sucks in general. Trying to meet and date new people living in a very, small area sucks even more. Dating in your late twenties sucks the most. Most of the men I meet are either already in established relationships, married, divorced, have 15 kids that they can't support, are alcoholics, do not have jobs, are disrespectful, or don't have teeth. So, for almost a year now, I've decided to enter the world of *drum roll please* online dating.
   At first, I trolled the sites like a ninja, floating in and out, just to see if I knew anyone personally. I didn't want anyone to see that I had stooped to the internet to find a date. After a few weeks, I decided I really didn't care all that much. After all, this was about me; I wanted to at least meet new people outside my social circle; whether or not it developed into something romantic was a whole different story.
   So, I put some pictures up and filled out a very vague profile about myself, and *POOF* in flow the e-mails... 

Hey beeutiful. :)

Your pretty and seem nice...

Wanna Chat?!

I want too taste you...

  Really guys, really? You cannot think of anything better to say? *sigh*
  And, did we make it through 3rd grade English class? Even if you aren't that great at grammar or spelling, there is something called spellcheck. If you're trying to score a date with a girl, please use what the age of technology has blessed you with.
    Still, after sifting through the horrendous attempts to get my attention, and the horrible screen names, sorry titsandbooze69, I WILL NOT be responding, there were a select few men I decided to write to. If they responded, and we chatted for awhile, nothing ever seemed to come out of it. The conversations usually fell very dry and mechanical. I mean, how much can you really say to one another typing back and forth through a screen?
     I remember, quite vaguely, one man who I ended up giving my number to. We texted back and forth for a week or two until we finally decided to meet for coffee; he stood me up.
    At first, I was a little pissed off because:

#1. He wasted my time, which I consider sacred.
#2. He made me begin to re-think the notion that I'll never meet a decent person...ever.

AND

#3. He was being fake...and I HATE fake people!
 
     I don't know, maybe it was me, or maybe that whole 'catfish' thing was happening. Either way, I was not putting up with it. So, my online profile got turned off for awhile. So, it was back to the drawing board for this girl.
   Just like previous years, however, it was all the same. Asking if I wanted to go for a ride at a baseball game was not my idea of being swept off my feet by Prince Charming. Neither was the slobbering bar scene. But, ALAS! Not all hope was lost, along came FACEBOOK! 
        Ahhhh, Facebook: the stories, the drama, the endless pictures of cats and what people are eating for dinner, but potential dates? Well, whoddathunkit?
Yes, it's true. There are people who meet (through a screen) on Facebook and fall in love. But, BEWARE, people can be whoever and whatever they want on the internet: Smart, attractive, kind, capable, single, SANE! It's all a beautiful facade, but it's fleeting and reality will sink in quicker than waking up next to a stranger after a night of heavy drinking.
  Still, there have been some success stories within the realm of online dating. Many of them involve very close friends and even family members of mine. As for me, however, maybe I just expect too much....like respect, reciprocated emotions, and actually spending time with the person I'm dating. Yea, I know...I must be a weirdo....