Originally posted by: Scribe
I'll give you the jist of my situation...
In college I had two girlfriends (few dates here and there but it was friendly and didn't go anywhere), both of which ended pretty amicably. Those relationships were both that I 'fell' into... just being friends with them first, doing some studying etc, then they grab my hand to hold and the 'whahhh?' and from there it goes. Both weren't the same but they were similar in this respect... both were friends first and that's why I had an easier time because we are still decent friends and didn't do anything terribly crazy sexually so when I see them it's not that I have weird mental images
Anyhoo fast forward to now... 2 and a half years out of college and I've been on maybe... 3 or 4 dates, none of which clicked. I'm naturally pretty shy around the opposite sex so the idea of "Go to the mall and hit on everybody!" doesn't work for me -- and it won't. It's just one of those things that's hard to change -- though I'm open to change on it... it takes more gusto than I have currently. Anyways, all the dates I went on were with people setting me up, and I did my best to grin and bear it. I work in a male dominated, older environment so dating people from work -- unless I'm a fan of Geriatric Park -- is rather out of the question though lots of women tell me "Oh my niece would love you!" or whatever. I never pursue it because if I wound up banging their neice or whatever ... it wouldn't bode well at work.
I work 12 hour days (with commuting) -- I get in at 8am, work till 5pm. Then I have a 1.5 hour trip home. I get home around 6:30, then eat immediately so I can get to the gym for an hour. I leave to the gym at 8pm and come back at 9 where I watch TV or play on the computer and go to sleep at 11:30 or so. Additionally I work every other Saturday even earlier, so I have to wake up at 4:30am thus, every other Friday night is blown too. So my day to do my chores and laundry and whatnot is Sunday, which leaves every other Saturday a day where I can go out. As you can imagine... I just don't have a lot of time and with the little bit of time I *do* have, I want to make the best of it, which is why I figured online dating might be worth a shot since the 'real life' method takes time, energy, and a different social skillset that I don't possess (at least not now). I would rather do the 'meet and greet' (with PICS! haha) online so I can vet out the "hell nos" to the "maybes". This way on a Saturday that I have time, I can at least go OUT with somebody, instead of figuring out ways to meet somebody.
Admittedly, a large part of my problem is my huge commute to work, so I am working on changing jobs but until then, I do still have the craving for affection that I haven't had in almost 3 years. So that's why I posted the question here. If you want to make fun, feel free. Odds are though, that you are in college or high school and don't understand what time constraints and being at work or on the road for 12 hours a day can do to your social life. Either way, I appreciate the helpful responses thus far and if I informed you any more to my situtation and you have advice, I'd like to hear it.
A change at all, is good for me.