Luckily for me (and you) I just sent an article I was writing to the recycle bin. My ringtone broke the silence and rather than muting the beeps I picked up. That was over an hour ago, and the subject of that call inspired me to delete a rather uninspired article about internet tracking.
One of my very close friends is my age and has kids similar in age to mine. Like me, she’s been single for several years and has found it hard to meet people in this area. I know what you’re thinking; no, we’re friends, nothing more.
Several months ago I helped her craft an online dating profile that I thought perfectly suited her. We tailored it to smart, kid friendly men, who have a job. If you’re single and in your late thirties to early forties then you understand how slim the pickin’s are. My advice to other younger and single people is don’t get old.
I should mention she knows I’m writing about her. Like most women who put themselves online, she’s been inundated with prospects. Each day she receives anywhere from five to fifteen messages from decent guys. Each day she rigorously filters through and deletes or replies.
She called me tonight to tell me about an off putting guy whom she saw Sunday. After talking over the dating site for a few days she decided to give him her number. Within minutes after pushing the send button her phone rang. Mr. Eager couldn’t wait an hour.
Mr. Eager’s profile states some pretty cool stuff about himself including his relationship with his kids. He also notes that he is an avid car buff and has a couple classics. Pictures attached to his profile clearly show him and his two boys working on one of the cars together. His profile makes him look like a catch.
My friend told me he picked her up in a jalopy that smelled like a mixture of exhaust and dirty dog. I should have told you, she’s the type of woman who schedules weekly manicures. According to her, the car he picked her up in was the car that was in his profile picture with his two sons. It was in the same condition as it was when the picture was taken.
Hours into the trip the guy eluded to not speaking to his kids for over a year and couldn’t explain why his kids no longer like him. At this point she started to deduce that the guy pretty much lied about everything. Online he seemed like a pretty decent guy, but face-to-face his story eroded.
We have to be careful and scrutinize everything we read online. No matter the source, not everything is true. Anyone can create an article that rarely anyone will pore over; and most will simply take at face value. Blog posts have become a source for much information and it’s a shame because bloggers may or may not be authorities on a particular subject.
Many people view the internet as a place they can pretend to be something they’re not. Photoshopped images, fictitious stories, and even bloated stories are all easily created with digital media. Keep in mind, anyone can have a blog, website, or simply create a dating profile these days. I’m glad I’m not using online dating anymore; I’m pretty sure there’s got to be a woman my age and in my area who drives a jalopy and doesn’t brag about it.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can call him at (978) 919-8059 or visit www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)