It could be the local supermarket, a shopping mall, or a Barnes & Noble
bookstore. Lots of men hang out there, especially the latter. At least it shows
that they have some money or they wouldn’t be either buying food, clothes or a
new best-seller. And hopefully a man who can read shows some promise, unless
he’s buying the latest picture-laden book on military aircraft. But again, the
chance encounter is “iffy” and an approach can be awkward, especially if the
woman makes it. It is clearly a step up from the bar scene and a discussion
about a book can lead to coffee at the nearby Starbucks. Clearly this is a
viable dating option but is it really worth all the effort?
Online
The internet has definitely revolutionized the way single people can meet. Match.com
and eHarmony.com have become enormously successful with thousands of members
nationwide. The national dating grand-daddy of them all, Great Expectations,
has finally added online capability as well Women can safely meet guys. This
includes viewing pictures, reading biographies, seeing their age, and in some
cases hearing their voices and reviewing a video clip. On the surface this
sounds great and indeed the eventual dates have led to engagements and
marriage. But there is another side to the coin. Your author has interviewed
several women and the responses include that some men tend to be creepy, and
even married. And the face-to-face meeting was horribly different than what the
photos showed. And no one seemed to be the correct age.
Church
There is no doubt that meeting a single person at church has many
advantages. They obviously have some moral grounding or they wouldn’t be there.
Men probably are better-than-average marriage material, especially if kids are
in the future. The downsides are that fewer and fewer people are attending
organized religious services these days. Many find their spiritual answers on a
more personal basis. It is also a fact that there are a lot more single women
attending a church than single men. So, the pasture can be both green yet
barren, so to speak.