It's a Small World

First of all, a confession: I am back on the dating website. Yes, I know I swore I’d never do it again, and I guess I can’t deny that a tiny part of me is looking… but really, I had 2 motivations for doing it:

1. 
   I had 38 unread messages in my inbox, which I couldn’t access unless I resubscribed, and I was curious
   


2. 
   
   I am really trying to move on from recent experiences and prove to myself that there are men out there who share a similar vision and purpose to their life, who have a social conscience, who don’t try to fit me in a box (or indeed a 5 bedroom home in suburban hell and try to immediately impregnate me), and with whom I can share a deep intellectual conversation, or visit an art gallery with or at least have an enjoyable coffee without one of us wanting to poke the other’s eyes out

It turns out, there are no men meeting these requirements. Although at least I am making an effort to move on.

But what is most alarming – and this is moving on from our recent discussions on related matters – is that between the dating website and Facebook, I feel as though my world is closing in on me. I recognise a lot of the people on the site as friends of friends on Facebook, and have not been able to contact some guys, as I know them to be either friends of friends I have dated, or – worse – ex-partners of friends of mine, where I know the history, and would be causing problems by getting involved.

The classic example occurred yesterday. It emerged that a guy I am meeting this afternoon (afternoon tea at Claridges, darling – for that pretentious reason alone, I know it’s never going to happen with him) knows both my sisters, and is completely mortified to have arranged a date with me (charming!). He has begged me not to tell either of them how we met – and even more alarmingly, he actually said to me that “should it become necessary in the future to disclose to them…” Eeek! I only agreed to a date, and I have made it clear I am not looking for anything other than a friend.

I have been going on a flurry of dates in the last 3 weeks in my bid to move on. I have enough material to write a book (and, oh, I probably will – some of the stories are utterly priceless). But honestly, all I want at the moment is to stay single, sociable, happy, fulfilled, and to move on!

I’ll keep you posted...