*Originally published on September 17, 2018
I like to think of myself as an old soul living in 2018. This sometimes makes it hard relating to people my age, especially when it comes to dating. It seems that nowadays, people aren’t interested in old-fashion romances anymore. Instead, it’s all about finding the next hookup on Tinder. Having said that, online dating is nothing to be ashamed of; sometimes it’s the only way to meet people when your schedule gets a little on the hectic side. However, lately I’ve been wondering if people are at all interested in real, human connections anymore, the organic way.
I’ve gone out on a few dates with guys I’ve met on Tinder. While they were very pleasant company, even just a simple coffee date almost felt forced. Tinder tends to become this vicious cycle of feeling validated when someone swipes right for you, getting tired of it, realizing you deserve better and deleting the app, only to find yourself missing the validation a few months later and re-downloading it. What I’ve come to realize is it just doesn’t work, at least not for me.
I’m a hopeless romantic, someone who craves that genuine connection with people. At the risk of sounding cliché, I’m just a Kayla searching for her Patch, or a Laura searching for her Luke. (Let me tell you, the Patch’s and Luke's of the world are nowhere to be found, ha!) I’m a firm believer that that “ride or die” and “you and me against the world” kind of love is out there somewhere. Unfortunately, most people in their 20’s are not in the same mindset; they want cheap thrills and good times. That is definitely not the same thing. I don't know about you, but I refuse to settle for anything less.
Technology has gotten seriously in the way when it comes to forming any kind of relationship. If you can hide behind a screen, why put any effort into something? The bottom line is this; genuine connection, conversation, and patience never go out of style in the dating world, and just in general. I think the best kind of people are the ones who make you forget to look at your phone. We could all use a few more of those people in our lives, whether they be friends or relationships, couldn’t we?
