Dating Moments

I started writing a list of Things I Learned From People I Dated and it morphed into Moments From My Dating History That Stuck With Me For Whatever Reason.

 

For a long time I felt like dates that didn’t seem to get me anywhere were a violation of my innocence or at least of my energy and time. I thought they were all an avoidable shame.

 

Now I am able to acknowledge that even if it didn’t work out between us, every person who came into my life came for a reason and they mattered and blessed my life in some way.

 

Some moments that stay with me (oddly, many are about food?):

 

A guy told me the story of the “Miracle on Ice” and I went home and watched this documentary and loved it.

Several told me their favorite book is Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl, and while I’ve never read it, I have read other pieces of Frankl’s work since then.

A guy told me “the only book in the library I haven’t read” (eye roll) was The Guns of August, so I immediately checked it out of the library and read the first chapter (couldn’t make it further, but I enjoyed the first chapter).

A date taught me how to play Code Names.

Kasbah Grill, UN Plaza Grill, and Zula were not on my radar before dates took me and I enjoyed them.

The Queen Anne fries at The Humble Toast are amazing!!

A guy I went out with ordered roasted shishito peppers and now I notice shishito peppers on every menu.

In recent years, a couple guys have sent me “I wish you well, it was nice meeting you” texts after we stopped dating, which was very impressive to me.

I was once eaten by mosquitos while sitting with my date in lengthy conversation by the Hudson River. Now I know that random as it seems, I must wear insect repellant on evening dates in the summer. (I couldn’t wear a short skirt for days; my legs were covered in angry red blotches). And I now know there is something called skeeter syndrome.

I was very touched when a guy remembered I love Chinese food and brought some on a picnic.

A guy told me about Warby Parker and I ordered my next pair of glasses from there.

I went on a date in Manhattan during Fleet Week and my date had to run back to the car while I waited for him outside a restaurant. A group of sailors in uniform passed by, and one of them nodded and tipped his sailor hat at me. I sort of blush-smiled, then I saw that my date was right behind and saw the whole thing. Lol, yikes.

 

I’m sure there are more, but that’s it for now. I would love to hear about your dating moments.