It can be really tough out there.
Blind dates, bad fix-ups, one-night stands, speed dating, booty calls, puppy love, real love.
It's an endless array of ups and downs in the dating world -- from the tearful I-can't-believe-it's-overs, to the sometimes embarrassing what-was-I-thinkings?
But it seems people will do anything to find their perfect partners.
Bars and parties aren't the only places for meeting other singles. And forget the old-fashioned meeting through mutual friends.
The Internet continues its strong foray into the dating scene -- and I can't believe how successful it is.
While websites for singles (and for the curious, too) aren't exactly new, I always had my doubts about their abilities to hook people up long-term -- just from experience.
Though I've never used one of these sites, my friends have introduced me to a number of weird and/or desperate people they met online.
(To all you creepers -- tone down the crazy and just leave my friends alone. They're good people.)
Seriously, while on a date with a woman, hitting on someone else is not a good idea.
And neither is obsessive-compulsively contacting them when they have no interest.
After seeing friends suffer through a few of these relationships gone wrong, my doubts only strengthened.
So when my dad started trolling for women online, I hoped for the best but feared the worst.
When he actually found someone amazing (they're two peas in a pod) -- I was thrilled, but surprised.
The online dating gods had pulled it off.
Maybe the Internet isn't such a bad fixer-upper after all.
OK, but that's just one example. Most people don't actually meet online, stay together long-term and get married, right?
(Except for those fake couples on commercials for online dating services -- they're soulmates.)
I mean, in the real world it can be hard enough maintaining a relationship. Online can't be any easier.
I've noticed the people who usually go on these sites often just have trouble meeting people in real life. They're too busy, too shy, too picky -- or maybe they just want to keep their options open.
For them, the Internet is the perfect solution. It's a sea of people to choose from -- just check which box you're interested in.
Don't want kids, do want kids. Adventurous, bookish. Tall, short. Smoker, non-smoker. The list goes on.
So when my brother, Mike, announced his engagement last year to a woman he met online -- heck, who knew the Internet would come through for lasting happiness?
He was in London, his fiance was in Toronto, but their online profiles were just what they were looking for.
They got married Saturday.
Not everyone on these sites gets that lucky.
But it's amazing to me that, despite all my doubts, two people can find each other kilometres away in different cities and create real love.
All with a little push from online dating sites. I guess they're not so bad after all.
Internet Dating & Online Dating
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