Super Fast Speed Date

Tonight, I got gussied up and went into the city to try some speed dating. Speed dating is organized over the web. You sign-up, show to the spot, in this case a restaurant, and you have a three minute date with each guy before your switch to the next guy. You are also given a for so you can take notes about each date. I did this years ago when I was working at the Post and a coworker was going to write about it and asked a few of her friend, me included, to join for the evening. It was fun. After online dating on and off over the years, I am tired. And I felt meeting ten to fiteen guys in one night would be a far ore efficiant use of my time! Plus, who can't have a conversation for three minutes with someone?

Tonight, however, there were twelve women and four men. A half hour after it was supposed to start the organizer gathered the women around and said, defeated, "well, we're still going to do it, but you'll have, like, a ten minute wait between dates". She told us that if anyone wanted to not participate tonight, they would get credited for the next speed dating event. One woman asked, "Well, is there a way we can do it where the women can kind-of network while they wait?"

I'm thinking, smart, the hostess can pull out four women to have their dates and the others can chat it up together. Then, the next four have their dates and so on.

The host however, didn't really get it, "Oh yeah, you can get together and compare your notes (about the guys) if you like."

Are women that shallow that they would gather around and compare notes about a guy they just met? Clearly not what the woman was going for when she asked the hostess her question. And clearly none of these women thought that was a god idea because there was reactional laugh that clearly said, "What did she just say?"

I opted out. There was something vulturish about staying to try and talk for three minutes with these four guys.

So, I left with about six other women (great for those who stayed!). I met a few ladies who had also just bowed-out of the wonderful opportunity to sit around all night to talk to four (measley as far as the number is concerned) guys, and I joined them at the bar. We talked about the event and how it's probably harder to find guys who will participate in speed dating. Men are not liekly to turn to a friend and say "Hey, wanna try speed dating on Wednesday?" Plus, I noticed there was a Celtics game playing on the TV at the bar.

I told the women we needed to start playing basketball. That's how we would meet guys. Or at least that feels like it's the only way it will happen - by joining a local watering hole-sponsored softball league.

Our conversation went to online dating, and one of the ladies talked about how it seems you have to go on a million dates to find the right guy "It becomes like number thing" she said, explaining that it wasn't like a pick-and-choose kind of thing, but rather, you just have to try and try and try.

It reminded me of last night when I was with my neighbors and playing a Wii skeet shooting game with their five year old. Bella never really aimed at the targets. She just shot in rapid succession at the screen.

And that sums it up. Dating is like Wii skeet shooting.