ill communication.

my friend L, a tall, gorgeous blonde with a knife-sharp sense of humour and an amazing singing voice - is recently single again.  (i actually live vicariously through her dating {mis}adventures)  hearing her talk about the ways that people meet and communicate in this "modern" era of computers, iPhones, blackberries, txt messaging and the internet is mind boggling.  heck, i still remember fondly when all i could access was TEXT based internet and that was only after setting my modem to dial and redial until it didn't get a busy signal from the server. 

don't get me wrong, i am in LOVE with text messaging, email and BBM.  i am one of those people who likes to see things in writing.  i'm a sucker for stamps and stationary and the written missive.  but i cannot imagine how much harder it is to communicate with someone that you're interested in romantically when you aren't necessarily able to see their face or hear the nuances in their voice. my boss - a warm, sweet lady who is always there if you need a shoulder to cry on, comes across as cold and unforgiving in her emails.  and then again there are all those shorthand txt abbreviations - LOL, TTYL, WTF?   i myself have been the victim of massive misunderstandings because i've only been "talking" to someone via email - but i also have to admit that some of the best discussions (ahem* read - arguments) i have had have also been by text message.  L and i stay close via txt - we both agree it's the perfect medium for us.

L has met a myriad of men through the miracle of the internet who are interested in her - but some of them she has never even heard their voice. (even though i am not surprised - she attracts people wherever she goes and i loathe going out with her because she makes me feel fat, dumpy and troll-like)  one website even did a personality profile of her and "matched" her with people they thought she would be compatible with.  (however, one was a 5'2" little person about 10 years her junior - L is almost 6' in heels and prefers men her own age - she was kind of confused)   L is somewhat conservative however, in where she puts herself out in regards to the internet.  i see people all the time giving out their blackberry PINs, looking to chat with someone, anyone.  i watched an episode of CSI: Miami where Eric drove around in his oh so fancy humVee (during work time) and people messaged him looking to "hook up".  (i still can't figure out how THAT works.)  weird.  my friend B, met her fiance while playing World of Warcraft - she was in vermont, he in texas.

i can't imagine DATING in this environment.  sometimes i wonder about how safe everything is.  who are these people and what are their motives?  how do you know that they are being honest about what they are putting out there? 

then again, how is it really any different than going to the bar or a club and meeting someone there?  or meeting someone through acquaintances or through work?  probably not very different.  and i worry for the mini and my nieces and nephews - because i am sure by the time they are ready to date, the whole thing will be completely different again and i STILL won't be able to get my head around it.

 i'm just happy meeting people in person.  but feel free to txt me.  LOL.