Old Skool: The Dating Game

Now to play the dating game...
Oct. 6, 2009
Right,

This is a tricky one, the dating game. Mostly, I haven't got the first clue of the rules or the objective, this does not stand me in good stead to win...if you can win...but for the time being I'll pretend it's like Monopoly or Cludo or Snakes and Ladders. I'm feeling snakes and ladders for this metaphor: What are the snakes and what are the ladders!?

I've been out of the game for four years, that's a long time in politics...and everything else really. Back in the good old days you'd meet someone, be friends with them, then you'd be a couple and that'd be that. Nowadays you go on 'dates' and if the date is 'successful' you get...er...another date, where you can wonder whether what you are saying is alright for a first date, or whether inviting them along to something else will be a major no-no and take you right back to the start square.

So far, I feel a little at sea in the whole scenario, as far as I'm concerned if I like someone I want to spend time with them doing fun stuff, I don't want to be faffing around terrified of being myself in case I seem to forward or needy or distant or (the most likely adjective) insane.

And then you you have the complication of what the other person is thinking. If you know someone well enough you can just ask them, but on these dates it's like being on a job interview where you have no baseline subject to start from, and thus you are left out on a limb, grasping at tiny branches of conversation from which a discussion can grow. (Check me out with my metaphors, I'm just throwing them out today!)

Then (I'm in someways curious about this) after a few successful dates, I really don't know how many it's meant to be or whatever, then what!? Then you're an official couple? Or is that like a proposal 'Will you be my boyfriend?' sort of thing, or maybe you have to literally do the americanism of 'We're going steady' (as opposed to staggering around blindly grasping at eachother near a busy highway, I think)

So, basically, if you can provide any answers to this they would be greatly appreciated! Or actually, any other worries you want to add, please do, I'd be reassured to know I'm not alone in this crazy world where even fun and excitement has rules of engagement.

xxx