i’ve been using the internet, off and on, to meet dates and boyfriends for 8 years now. alas, the time has finally come:  i just can’t do it anymore. i’m breaking up with internet dating.  fare thee well, my darling — it’s just not a good match;  it’s not working anymore.

you want specific reasons why we’re history?  oh, alright, here are a few.

1. my ego can’t withstand any more lame-ass rejections from men who aren’t ready/just got out of  a long relationship/aren’t looking for something serious/”don’t feel tons of chemistry.”  dudes, if you aren’t feeling the chemistry, there’s something wrong with you. i’m cute, smart, funny, a good person and i have a lot to offer. my ego should not be in the intensive care unit, as it is right now.  i’m tired of wearing my heart on my sleeve for asshats to peck at.

2. god, all the time i’ve wasted. all the hours  i could have spent reading, writing, eating ice cream, hanging out with my friends, plotting world domination… all of the hours, instead of being put toward any real use,  i spent with crazy people in coffee shops.  eff it.

3. i’m tired of trying to force fate.  if it’s not meant to happen now, it just ain’t gonna happen now.  no number of dates, temporary try-outs or half-assed makeout sessions is going to change that. there’s something so unnatural about looking for love online (for me, anyway).  it feels too much like shopping.  i’m tired of trying to force life/love to happen the way i want it, when i want it .  i want to be in a relationship, sure, but i don’t want it bad enough to sacrifice my self-esteem and my serenity.

4. the addictive element.  online dating has become a strange variety of addiction for me. i use it, sometimes, in the way a druggie might shoot dope: to escape, to validate myself, to forget my problems and to be reminded that i’m OK, i’m attractive, there are possibilities out there.  it’s unhealthy.  i need to relax for a while.
so i’m done, for the time being, shopping for love on the internet. maybe i’ll meet someone in the real world; maybe not. i’m leaving it up to the powers that be, i’m throwing up my hands and saying “enough, for now.”
so goodbye, good ol’ internet dating.  we had a good run.  you’ve always been there for me when i needed a shoulder to lean on, a little e-hug, a bit of innocent flirting.  but you’re just not doing it for me anymore, so we need to take a breather.
xo,

laura