I have been doing the online dating thing for a long time now. I can never find anything that sticks. In the past few years I have been noticing a trend. I call it “The Date and Disappear” trend. This happens when you go out with someone for the first or second time and it’s great, but after a few days you never hear from them again with no notice or reason why. Seriously. We do the natural date spiel and talk about what we do, where we are from, and our families. Then, the random topics and comparisons come up. We flirt and laugh until the smiles reach our eyes. We discuss the fun things to do and how he will have to take me there sometime.

Typically, I like to do coffee, dessert, or drinks for a first date. If we aren’t meshing with one another, we aren’t obligated to sit through a whole date. You also have the opportunity to continue the date if you are getting along really well. This can lead to dinner, bowling, a stroll in the park or something else along those lines. You are also able to keep that aphrodisiacal anticipation flowing and schedule a second date. We leave the date with an awkward hug (you know, the kind where you don’t know if you are going to get a kiss or not), perhaps a kiss, and a promise of doing something like this again soon. At this time, one of us are barely out of the parking lot before the other texts a smiley or a wish that the night didn’t have to end just yet. Y’all know how it goes. These are the good ones. I’ll get a “good morning beautiful” text from him bright and early in the morning. We will chat throughout the day like we could never get enough of each other.

That sounds great! Yes, yes it does. The problem happens a few days after the date. Slowly the amount of messages that I receive dwindle down to nothing. I’m left wondering what the heck just happened. It’s like whiplash. Everything is going peachy and then crash! This has been the norm for my experiences in online dating, except on rare occasion. I’m interested in knowing why they decided to just stop talking to me out of the blue. Was it someone else? Disinterest? Too busy? The lack of communication in this (not so) difficult situation is astounding. Communication is one of the most important requirements for a relationship, as well as for being a functioning adult. It shows quite a bit of maturity. It’s very easy to say, “Hey, I’m just not interested anymore. I wish you luck in the dating world.” Some day we will all get there, some day.

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