Dating Today

 I have always said that I truly believe people mean well, and I try to be dan l’chaf z’chus in all situations. Yet I am human and sometimes I do get frustrated or annoyed at someone without knowing the full story or their intentions. That being said, when I read the email below, I felt for the single woman who wrote the letter. I truly do not think the intentions of her cousin were mean or in any way trying to flaunt the fact that she is married with a family and her single cousin is not. Still, the single cousin was hurt. Read on.

I know that I promised to get back to my regularly scheduled articles after I wrote Part Two about my co-worker Rivky, but I can’t. Something has happened in the last week, and I feel that if I didn’t write about it, I would be doing a disservice to all. Think of this as a Public Service Announcement. This article is for everyone, whether you’re single, in high school, retired, married for several years, divorced, etc. But, yes, at the end I will tie it all up in a nice bow and relate it to dating.

I have read plenty of emails from people asking for advice, and others who freely give advice and tell me what I should write about and why. But I have never had someone begin an email asking a question, seeking out advice and end the email with figuring out what she wants to do. Until now.

I received emails regarding the last article that was printed about my co-worker Rivky and her opinion about shidduchim. A few asked to hear more about Rivky’s thoughts on shidduchim. I never thought my co-worker would be the subject of not one, but two articles, but who am I to deny the public what it wants? As I’ve written before, I usually have a few articles “ready to go,” so I am never cramming to meet the deadline. I am putting the article that I was going to submit for this week on hold, so that I may write more about Rivky’s thoughts. Think of it as a Part 2 to the article published last time – and then I hope to get back to my regular articles.

I have read plenty of emails from people asking for advice, and others who freely give advice and tell me what I should write about and why. But I have never had someone begin an email asking a question, seeking out advice and end the email with figuring out what she wants to do. Until now.

If you are a longtime reader of this column, you know of all the dating experiences I have had while dating. There were many times that I wished I had stayed home and had watched Friends (yes, there were scripted sitcoms before reality TV) than to have gone out on a date with someone whom I never should have been redt to, let alone gone out with. When I got home, I complained to my parents: “How could ______ think that this guy would be what I’m looking for! Does this mean that they think so little of me?” But my parents would say that I can always learn from an experience, and it brings me closer to my bashert. I would reluctantly agree with them because I knew it was true. Had I not gone out with all the fellows I went out with, I wouldn’t be able to relate to people with dating issues or be qualified to write a book or this column. So, it all works out in the end.