The Sport of Dating

Dating isn't fun, nor is it easy. Dating is something we tolerate, and plow through with perseverance hoping that the next one won't be quite as bad as the last. Useless conversations that resemble the foundation of your typical resume require the helpful aid of sweet martinis and full-bodied wines, but we continue to sacrifice our valuable Friday nights to this daunting sport. Why? Some of us strive for meaningful conversation with the opposite sex. Others, are holding 'tryouts' for a suitable life-mate. Perhaps others still, are just sadistic.

Dating can certainly be exciting, but more often than not, it is just plain nerve-wracking.  I went through a string of dates that seemed like Saturday Night Live skits and after realizing I am a female Deuce Bigalow, I consulted my closest confidants. Most women  have go-to girlfriends that will sugar-coat our problems, lift our spirits and stroke our egos.  Equally important are the friends who spit out the hard-to-swallow truths we need to hear to keep us balanced.

I understand that priorities evolve with age, and companionship is a safe option -- especially when looking for dates to your friends' weddings, couples nights, dinner with the folks, etc. Everything seems more depressing when you don't have the infamous Carrie Bradshaw plus one, and suddenly every song on the radio is Brian McKnight, Sleepless in Seattle is on TV for the umpteenth time and of course the extra pasta you made is sitting in the pot laughing at you.

Dating can be a healthy outlet for you to flirt, laugh, and have some human contact with the other side. So stay positive, sort through the rubbish, soak up the experience and always I repeat, ALWAYS have your first aid kit: a martini, friends and maybe a back-up to someone who will give you the straight goods.

Lauren Shirreffs, Dazed And Amused
		About the author:
		Having graduated from Fitness and Health Promotion, Lauren then completed a Fashion Marketing and Merchandising program. Still hungry for more education, she studied Italian, took creative writing, attended poetry readings and read Plato, adopting his mantra as her own: “knowledge is power”.  A perpetual learner and hopeless romantic, Lauren has traveled Europe and now calls  London, England home.  A brave soul moving to a country in the depths of a credit crunch, she documents random occurrences on her blog, contemplates love and dating on WOMAN.ca, and divides her time between writing, more writing and of course, travel.
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