DH and I met online....this is a blog I wrote about finding love on-line. I have 2 other friends who met their DH's on match.com and one who met hers on Myspace.
I won't bore you with the details of my past relationships, I am grateful for all of them, because without them I would not be where I am today. There was the one that I thought was 'the one' who wasn't...there was the much older man (he turned 40 when I turned 22)...there was the HUGE mistake (who was a liar and a cheat...that was a completely worthless relationship)..there was Mark, who was the one not meant to be (although he has made a great friend)....then there was that much older guy again (kept gonig back for more). There were a few others who were just blips on the map of my life that really aren't worth mentioning.
By that time I was sick of it all, so out of curisoity I joined match.com to try internet dating. I was a successful woman (I was 22 and owned my own house and had a 'real' job), was fairly atractive (when I wanted to be) and was tired dating men I met at the hospital (older guy, Mark, and the liar were from the hospital). Since I worked nightshift, dating was a little harder for me since I couldn't be out till all hours, cause I had to work all hours. I was embarassed to tell people how I was meeting all these guys, back then internet dating was a 'new' thing and not really 'cool' to do.
I talked to a few guys, usually started with IM'ing them, maybe a phone call, then a date in a very public place (a friend and I had an agreement, when we went out on internet dates, we would tell each other and check in when the date was over, this way if a crazed wacko killed us, and chopped up our bodies, the other one would know!). Things that ruled a guy out were no job (loser, I ain't gonna support your behind), still lived at home (really didn't want to hang out with your parents until I knew you better), served time in prison (no explaination needed), or had a boat load of kids (I wanted kids of my own, so if you had more than 2 or 3, you were no longer contacted). If you wanted my phone number before you talked to me for a few days online, then I moved on.....if you wanted to meet me 3 seconds into our phone conversation...goodbye. If you told me ' I Love You" on our second date, I left you at the resturant and headed straight to the police station to file a restraining order!
So I weeded out some losers and wackos and went on a few dates. The 1st date with my hubby was nothing special. We met at the Montgomeryville Mall after work, walked around and talked. We didn't even eat a meal together. If you had asked me then if I would marry this guy I would have told you no. He wasn't my 'type' although he was very nice, he just wasn't 'me'. We began talking just after Thanksgiving, met just before Xmas and it wasn't until the New Year when we started 'talking' again. We arranged for another date, with him coming 'up by me' once I returned from my visit in NY.
2nd date he met my dad.....not by choice. He was coming up for our date and my dad 'stopped' by. My dad is quite a character and those of you who know him, know what I mean. He of course embarasses me to no end and finally leaves. Randy and I went to Brew Works for dinner and had a nice time. He gets a small kiss goodnight and sent on his way.
3rd date was at his house. He cooked me dinner (with candles on the table) and we rented a movie. I had planned on spending the night (at his assurance he would sleep on the couch) since the drive was so long and it had been a long day. I let him sleep in the bed next to me, provided he didn't pull any funny busniess....and he didn't. Lucky for him.
Our dates went back and forth, taking turns at each others houses, getting to know each other. He began to meet my friends and family and I his (who were all amazed that he got a 'hot redhead'). He arranged for a Birthday weekend away together (to Baltimore, someplace I had never been), something no other man had ever done for me.
I still have the match.com profiles we each had, I printed them out once things got serious between us. I have all the poems and mushy love notes he left for me. I now openly tell people how we met. I have several good friends who met their husbands (or future husbands...Erin!) online.
If you would have asked me after our 1st date if this was the man I was to spend the rest of my life with, I would have told you no. If you ask me now, I would tell you without a doubt. Our relationship is not perfect, far from it, but at the end of the day, I know he loves me, flaws and all ,with his whole heart and even though there are days he doesn't like me very much or is mad at me, we took each other for better or worse. We have to get through today to get to tomorrow....we do it together for better or worse.
