The Disappointing Date

First dates are a mix of excitement and anxiety for me. I love meeting new people and talking, but that first date seems to create a different energy. Many years ago when I was still involved in the online dating scene, I met Film Major. Film Major had contacted me on this dating site and he looked cute enough in his profile so I replied back. Soon we were talking about Film and "the industry" and a bunch of other things that made me really want to meet him.

Flash forward a couple of weeks and we had set up a dinner meeting at a restaurant known for it's wide variety of food and speciality dessert. As always, I arrived early and waited outside. I didn't recognize Film Major when he walked up, and even worse he was significantly shorter than what his pictures and profiles implied. I've dated guys close to my height and it's not a big deal. While I thought he was taller, I hadn't asked and couldn't remember what was written on his profile.

We sit down to dinner (he had made reservations point for him) and start talking before ordering. I find out that while he used to go to school up in Santa Barbara that he is now living at him with his parents in the dreaded "valley". The waiter comes and we both order, and I am already dreading the next hour I am spending with Film Major. He is continually name dropping throughout dinner since he used to work on music videos and the entire conversation is boring and ridiculous. He keeps talking about himself and "his art" while trying to name drop and impress me. As the food comes and we eat I do my best to finish as quickly as possible in order to get out. Not only could I not remember about his height disclosure, but much of the conversation was the complete opposite of what had been represented to me online.

There is nothing worse than a horrific first date. Film Major did end up paying for the meal. I gave him a cheek when he tried to kiss me and he hit on my friend two weeks later. That said, speed dating could have avoided this disaster. I would have been able to see what Film Major looked like and known what he was about. Even at the worst the date would have been over in 3 minutes and he wouldn't have had all my contact information.