Pippa and Doug
Pippa is a yoga and fitness instructor who lives in North Toronto and says, “I read in a book by Dr. Christiane Northrup never to reveal my age.” She says, “Most days I’m dressed to teach yoga but, on a date, my ‘dancer’ style comes out.” Pippa says she is a free spirit who “loves teaching movement.” She is “always on the dance floor first” and likes painting, attending wine tastings, and cooking healthy, organic meals.
Before I started online dating, I became fascinated with the profiles. A few months later, I put up my own. I was just looking, testing the water. I put up two pictures that weren’t sexy — OK, the yoga pants in the second picture might be considered sexy. The response was immediate and very positive.
I didn’t respond to any of the messages I received until I was contacted by a man who had included a beautiful poem in his profile, as well as his thoughts on romance and road trips. I couldn’t ignore this guy. I sent him my email address.
I soon discovered that he was totally willing to wait for me to offer my phone number. There was none of that pressure-filled male mentality, such as saying, “I don’t want to waste my time” or “Let’s just meet for coffee,” which my friends have experienced when dating online.
Doug worked in real estate by day and wrote poetry and prose at night. He told me he was actually writing a book of poems about love and romance. He hoped they would touch something deep inside of people. He told me that he “needed” to write the book because he thought people made romance less of a priority than they should and he wanted to remind them of the “magic they created” when they first got together with their partner. He believed it was part of his “soul’s purpose” to do this.
We planned to meet at a picturesque café. However, the week before that first date, I got an email about an Indian dance show at the Sony Centre. I asked Doug if he’d like to go with me and meet up downtown first. Doug liked my plan. The night before our date, he sent me a poem he’d written.
We met at the corner of Yonge and Front Sts. I was attracted to him, his manners, his looks, his style, the way he listened to me. Right away, I lost track of time; the conversation just flowed.
On our way in, a woman in a beautiful sari placed a bindi on my forehead, which I left on all night. Doug checked my coat for me. The lobby had been converted into an Indian marketplace and we ate amazing dishes and talked to Indian artists. When it was time to go in, Doug found our seats for us and was very willing to participate in the show and actively enjoy it. The show was incredible. Sitting beside Doug, I felt joyful. Happier than I’d been for a long time.
At intermission, I stopped at a jewelry vendor while Doug went to the bathroom. I picked out earrings, for a nice token of the day but, before I could pay for them, Doug found me and insisted on buying them for me. At that moment, they became a priceless reminder of this amazing first date.
After the show, we passed by a Ganesh-style elephant and saw people having their photos taken with it. I looked at Doug and said, “Maybe that elephant will give us some luck.” He stood behind me for the shot; I looked back at him and said, “Hold me like you like me.” It turns out he did.
He walked me to my car and, with enthusiasm, he told me he’d really like to see me again. He hugged me — no kiss, though — and opened my car door for me. He handed me a note he’d written that said he was happy to go out with me, regardless of the outcome.
Two years later, Doug continues to write me poems.
Pippa rates her date (out of 10): 10 The Dating Diaries are readers’ accounts of their best, worst and weirdest dates as-told-to the Star. Want to be a dating diarist? Email datingdiariescontact@gmail.com.