I've been trying internet dating and it definitely isn't for the faint hearted. Let's face it, you are trying to sell yourself and I have never been that good at self promotion - if I were I would hardly be hiding my poetry and writing behind a picture of a slightly worried looking orange (however cute it may be). So I have struggled to describe myself in what I think might be a winning, yet truthful, way in the hope that this might lead to my finding the man of my dreams.
However the more I've read of men's profiles, and the more accompanying pictures I've seen, the more disheartened I've become with the whole process. No, I don't think a picture of a motorbike is going to sway me. Nor will a picture of a car, a boat, fish (in a tank or cradled in your arms after being freshly caught), a race track, a Staffie, your tattoos (especially when spelled wrong)... just no. All I want to know is what you look like. I don't want to see a picture of you with your ex girlfriend, current girlfriend (get off the site!), a picture of you in bed, or in the bathroom. Yes it is difficult to get a self portrait but surely you could ask a friend to take one for you rather than have all these bizarre and rather creepy one eyed bathroom mirror photographs that have sprouted across the dating sites?
What of the profiles themselves? I had great difficulty in writing mine and to come up with a list of interests that didn't make me sound insane but made me sound interesting enough to talk to. Some men's profiles have such a long list of hobbies that you wonder how on earth they'd have time, let alone the inclination for a girlfriend. They go skiing, mountain biking, sailing, kayaking, marathon running, snow boarding... They love travelling round the world and list the countries that they have been to and the ones that they plan to go to next... Others have a description, not of themselves but of the woman they require - height, age, shape, weight. Somehow I get the feeling, from looking at their own profile pictures, that they expect great things and are possibly somewhat over optimistic. Average would be a generous description.
So far I've only had two dates. Both were very nice men. Who were very interested (in themselves). Sadly not in me. It is quite depressing sitting listening to men telling you all about themselves - until they suddenly remember that they are on a date and break off to ask you a question and patently obviously don't listen to the answer. I was quite disappointed as on paper and by email they had seemed rather nice.
Let's face it, I don't want much. I don't have a great long list of requirements - but I would like my date to at least be interested in me. Surely that isn't too much to ask? Is it?
*Since I wrote this blog, I have written this purely about Internet dating*
http://milkandabiscuit.blogspot.co.uk/
Randomeanderings: Useful and useless things, random assorted ideas and general waffle
Randomeanderings: Useful and useless things, random assorted ideas and general waffle
- clinestar
- Part time poet, full time librarian, student of the delights of milk chocolate. Likes books, milk, paddling, poetry, scribbling, chocolate, notebooks, sea, piers. Not necessarily in that order. All work copyright cih.