Let’s bring dating back

Dating in St Andrews is, as far as I can tell, a dying art. I’m a fan of the classic date, whether it be dinner and a film, casual drinks, or cooking for someone at home (Note: avoid coffee dates, they send mixed messages). Call me old fashioned? You’re probably right. I’m not a fan of the idea of waking up next to a girl the morning after and panicking about not knowing her name. The date, unlike the night out hook up, gives me breathing space and a chance to get to know the person (especially her name, the name is key, like, really important).

You’d think that dating in a town with as many attractive people as we’ve got would be easy, especially since 1 in 10 of us apparently wind up married to each other. Yet, I see no one dating. Those of of my friends in relationships were either in them before they arrived, or were hooking up with their current partner, and then decided they were ok seeing each other in daylight hours, and acknowledging one another in Tesco. Very few of them had anything like a traditional first date, and barely any go on dates with their other half. I think that’s sad.

Dating is a time honored tradition, rich, if properly done, in chivalry. Picking a girl up at the door, pulling out her chair for her, and insisting (a bit), on paying the check, at least the first time, are all things I find comforting. Now, that may sound a bit more Colin Firth and Martin Freeman than James Bond, but I don’t have gadgets, a sports car, and wildly inappropriate innuendo down like 007. Instead, I will cower behind tradition while I try and think of what to say. Odds are that I’m going to put my rather large foot squarely in my mouth at the same time that I shoot it, so any good will I can have earned is helpful. For those of you paying attention, I did just reference characters from Love Actually, and for those of you who care, I am a heterosexual male, and for those ladies still reading, I am single.

The fact of the matter is that dating, while not a cheap hobby, has many benefits. You get to know someone in a sort of structured environment, where friends won’t be constantly coming up to you with their drunken problems (a very real problem on a night out). You get to express interest in someone outside of the walls of the Lizard where, let’s be honest, the only really truthful thing you can say is, “I saw you, and I thought I would also want to see you naked.” Most importantly, the date is a great stepping stone to a relationship, and a relationship, if it’s a good one, means someone to talk to, someone to lean on, and someone to have regular sex with. I think we can all agree that sounds great.

Images courtesy of advice.uk.match.com