Have you ever noticed how similar online dating and job hunting are? You sit down to write about yourself and….Nada. You got nothin’. Everything you put down sounds like complete crap. After a few agonizing minutes, you realize you aren’t nearly as unique as you thought you were. You’re like every other poor sap out there who has “outstanding communication skills” and believes in living life to its fullest. Suddenly, doing the dishes sounds very appealing. Vacuuming. Taxes, even.
But then, after days of procrastination that would make Leonardo da Vinci proud, you buckle down. You finish your piece de resistance, and it’s really not half bad. “Why’d I wait so long to do that?” you wonder. You feel a little spark of hope. The hard part is over.
And then you spot it. The perfect match. Perfect! Surely it’s meant to be. You whip up a note, put it out there, and go about your day. It’s just a matter of time now; you’re perfect for this one! You start daydreaming of things to come. Hours pass. Days. Silence. Every time you check your messages, you feel a little more like Jon Favreau in Swingers.
So why do we do it? Why do we put ourselves through the agony? The bad dates that feel like job interviews, the emails that disappear into a black abyss.
Because despite the disappointment, there’s hope. For all the missed connections, tomorrow could be the day you find the one that sticks. Someone who gets you, even when you don’t make sense. Someone who loves you, even when you’re fighting. Someone who makes dating feel less like work and more like a great adventure.
And in the meantime, at least all these bad dates make for funny stories to tell our friends over beers.
