By Jan Bono
It's important to have a twinkle in your wrinkle.
~Author Unknown
Meeting new friends can be quite a challenge, especially when lots of folks my age prefer to stay at home to watch a DVD rather than attend a concert, play, or some other social function. And with the advent of e-books, I don't meet too many people in libraries or bookstores anymore, either.
And then there's the Internet. Where we used to catch up on the local "gossip" by stopping in at the coffee shop, now we just log on to Facebook. I'm still not sure if home computers are a blessing or a curse, but I do so enjoy having a world of information at my fingertips.
So I decided to use the Internet to see if it might be a way for me to meet new people. A little research gave me many different sites to explore. Yes, there were sites for dating, I already knew about those. But there were also sites for meeting others who enjoy similar activities, from kayaking to quilting, and reading to rock hounding. And most of these sites were free!
I set up a profile, posted a few pictures, and began happily corresponding with a goldmine of potential friends. Soon, though, it was time to meet someone face to face. The little naysayer hanging out in my subconscious leaped to the forefront.
"What if he's not at all who he said he was? What if he's using the Internet to meet vulnerable women? What if he's an axe murderer?"
Knowing that little voice always has my best interest at heart, but can also be a very wet blanket, I cautiously set up a meeting with a man I'd spoken with several times on the phone. I picked a very public place and a very daylight time.
I sent my best friend an e-mail telling her where I was going, a copy of his picture, his phone number and e-mail address, and everything else I thought I knew about the guy. "If I turn up missing," I wrote, "make sure he gets the electric chair!"
Arriving at the appointed place a little early, I was pleased to see lots of people milling about. I blended in with them and watched the park bench from a safe distance. My new potential friend arrived, sat down, and waited patiently.
He looked just like his picture. He didn't appear to be concealing a chainsaw under his shirt. I decided to approach him.
"Hi," I said, extending my hand. "Nice to meet you."
We sat and chatted for a while; then he suggested we get lunch at a nearby restaurant. I smiled and reached into my jacket pocket, producing a small water pistol. I playfully shot him with it, and he laughed.
"What's this all about?"
"This means I'd be delighted to have lunch with you," I replied. "I didn't know if you'd turn out to be a nice guy or a creep, and the nice guy gets the pocket with the squirt gun."
For just a second, my new friend looked puzzled. Then he smiled with understanding as we stood up to go to our first of many meals together. "So what, may I ask, is in the other pocket?"
I grinned from ear to ear. "Pepper spray."
Rick breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, then, I'm certainly glad you don't think I'm a creep."
"So am I," I replied happily, and I took his proffered arm to walk the short distance to the restaurant.
It's important to have a twinkle in your wrinkle.
~Author Unknown
Meeting new friends can be quite a challenge, especially when lots of folks my age prefer to stay at home to watch a DVD rather than attend a concert, play, or some other social function. And with the advent of e-books, I don't meet too many people in libraries or bookstores anymore, either.
And then there's the Internet. Where we used to catch up on the local "gossip" by stopping in at the coffee shop, now we just log on to Facebook. I'm still not sure if home computers are a blessing or a curse, but I do so enjoy having a world of information at my fingertips.
So I decided to use the Internet to see if it might be a way for me to meet new people. A little research gave me many different sites to explore. Yes, there were sites for dating, I already knew about those. But there were also sites for meeting others who enjoy similar activities, from kayaking to quilting, and reading to rock hounding. And most of these sites were free!
I set up a profile, posted a few pictures, and began happily corresponding with a goldmine of potential friends. Soon, though, it was time to meet someone face to face. The little naysayer hanging out in my subconscious leaped to the forefront.
"What if he's not at all who he said he was? What if he's using the Internet to meet vulnerable women? What if he's an axe murderer?"
Knowing that little voice always has my best interest at heart, but can also be a very wet blanket, I cautiously set up a meeting with a man I'd spoken with several times on the phone. I picked a very public place and a very daylight time.
I sent my best friend an e-mail telling her where I was going, a copy of his picture, his phone number and e-mail address, and everything else I thought I knew about the guy. "If I turn up missing," I wrote, "make sure he gets the electric chair!"
Arriving at the appointed place a little early, I was pleased to see lots of people milling about. I blended in with them and watched the park bench from a safe distance. My new potential friend arrived, sat down, and waited patiently.
He looked just like his picture. He didn't appear to be concealing a chainsaw under his shirt. I decided to approach him.
"Hi," I said, extending my hand. "Nice to meet you."
We sat and chatted for a while; then he suggested we get lunch at a nearby restaurant. I smiled and reached into my jacket pocket, producing a small water pistol. I playfully shot him with it, and he laughed.
"What's this all about?"
"This means I'd be delighted to have lunch with you," I replied. "I didn't know if you'd turn out to be a nice guy or a creep, and the nice guy gets the pocket with the squirt gun."
For just a second, my new friend looked puzzled. Then he smiled with understanding as we stood up to go to our first of many meals together. "So what, may I ask, is in the other pocket?"
I grinned from ear to ear. "Pepper spray."
Rick breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, then, I'm certainly glad you don't think I'm a creep."
"So am I," I replied happily, and I took his proffered arm to walk the short distance to the restaurant.
http://www.chickensoup.com/
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