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August 28, 2000
The perils of personal ads.
All right, I've been talked into it. I'm going to JournalCon. It sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun -- I'll get to meet people I've only exchanged emails with, which is a big draw for me. I've also never been to Pittsburgh, so I'm looking forward to it. Now I just need to register, find a roommate, and figure out how I'm going to get there, since I don't have a car. Anybody in the Boston area want to let me tag along? I'll share gas money, help drive, and provide little puppet shows to amuse you! Seriously, anybody who's headed that way and would be willing to accept a passenger, I would be eternally grateful. I'm ridiculously short on cash right now, so saving money on transportation would be lovely.
I woke up this morning in a deep blue funk -- see, I put my personal ad back up on Yahoo. I had one up a month or so ago, and took it down because I kept getting weird responses. I figured it was worth trying again, so I wrote a new one, and I've gotten some emails from guys who sound interesting. However, the difference between how they come across via email and how they are on the phone has been huge. Over the past couple of days, I've been exchanging long, funny emails with one particular guy -- I'll just call him T., because I can't think of a good pseudonym for him. His messages were interesting -- he seemed really smart, down-to-earth, and just an all-round nice person. He send his phone number, and told me he'd like it if I called, and that he'd love to get together for coffee. I had mentioned in a prior message that I was very shy about meeting him, because I'm not a little petite thing. I'm tall, and I've always been heavy, no matter what I do. I'm okay with it -- hell, as down as I am on myself, I still have moments where I think I'm cute. But I don't fit the type that most men seem to want, and I told him that. I called him last night, and he very nervously asked if I had been offended by his last email. Offended? The last message I read was the one asking me to call, and if I wanted to go have coffee. What could offend me about that. "Oh... heh... you didn't read my last message yet, did you?" I hadn't, so he read it to me -- basically, it was all about what a handsome guy he is, and how he wants a "girl with an edge, a look." And he told me I should go to the gym. Ahem. Not the best way to win me over. I didn't get mad immediately, because I don't think he necessarily meant to be offensive. I explained to him that have a gym membership, and I use it, but my body seems to very much like the shape it's in, and refuses to change much. And that I'm generally okay with that, because, as far as I'm concerned, looks are incidental. There's way more to a person than what they look like -- sure, I'll drool and daydream over Hugh Jackman or Russell Crowe, but a guy could be the most gorgeous creature in the world, and also the most shallow. I'd rather meet someone who's interesting, who has a sense of humor, and who I can talk to than someone who's just easy on the eyes. And I think there's a lot more to me than just my looks -- heaven help me if there wasn't!
We did end up talking for over two hours -- he seems nice enough, if a bit conceited. I don't want to meet him, and I doubt I'll email him again -- I just don't think I'm what he's looking for. And I'm about to give up on the whole idea of meeting someone. Feh.
Oh, and one more plea: anybody heading to JournalCon who wants to share transportation, let me know! Pretty please?
Posted by Mary Ellen at August 28, 2000 04:26 PM