Maybe I’m just old fashioned, but is anyone else tired of all the hoops you have to jump through just to take somebody to dinner? What ever happened to seeing someone attractive, asking them out then and there, and then getting to know them over a nice meal? Even if it doesn’t work out, that’s still free food and a story to tell your friends at the very least.
Nowadays it seems like everyone has to find out everything about a person before they’d ever dare ask them out on a date. People will text for weeks before they finally just spend some time together in a romantic setting. At that rate, what are you even supposed to talk about when you finally do go out together? All of the icebreakers and conversation starters that are literally designed for the first date have already been used up in snaps and text messages, so you both end up sitting there quietly and wondering why dates are so awkward.
Unfortunately the world we live in has prompted lots of safety concerns, especially for those of the finer sex, but I still think that in many cases it’s totally okay to go out with someone you just met. Restaurants are public places after all, and it is always okay to get up and leave if something feels off.
Now if you meet online, that’s a different thing. In that case, maybe you should spend some time texting and/or calling the person before making plans to meet up. A person’s general vibe is important, but it can be hard to accurately pick up over the phone, so spending time talking first makes sense in that case. When someone asks you out in person though, you can see how they look, how they act and even (I can’t believe I have to say this) how they smell.
You have so little time to be young. Do you really want to spend it staring at the cold, bluish glow of an iPhone keyboard? Or would you rather spend it looking into someone’s eyes through the warm, flickering light of a candle lit table?
I can’t be the only one who feels this way, so come on, let’s normalize first dates. Instead of getting to know each other over the phone, let’s get to know each other over dinner. If you meet someone you like, skip the BS and just ask them out, you’ll be glad that you did.
