Dear Abby: She thinks first dates are potholes on true love’s path
Dear Abby: I am a 30-yearold woman who very much wants to find someone to share my life and start a family with.
The problem is I hate dating, at least the early stages. To me, first dates aren’t exciting; they’re just plain awkward and nerve-racking.
I have tried everything to change my outlook on dating, but I still go into every first date with the same enthusiasm as I’d have for a root canal.
I truly want a partner in life, but I hate first dates so much I Googled, “Is arranged marriage for me?”
Please, do you have any tips for how to have a more positive outlook on dating?
— Hates Dating in Maryland
Dear Hates Dating: As a matter of fact, I do. I don’t know what kind of first dates you are having, but it might benefit you to make them more casual — a lunch, a coffee, a movie or some other entertainment, so a conversation won’t become a third degree. Rather than stress, if you regard a first date as a chance to make a new friend rather than an audition for a life partner, you might enjoy it more and so would your date.