The following post was written about five years ago. I was inspired to repeat this post by our blogging friend Cindy who shared her setting up her daughter with a blind date, where the lack of follow-up frustrated the mother and daughter both.. A link to her blog is below.
Being a tall person, I have had my share of dates who were much shorter than me. I have even dated a few women who were under 5 feet tall. But, those height differences are very manageable and provide interesting stories. The dating dilemmas occur when something surprising happens.
Here are a few I encountered, some funny some not so.
Why must you be so rude? – the first example occurred when I took a date to Disneyworld for the day driving from my home 3 hours away. The dilemma is she was rude to other people, cutting lines, being curt, impatient, etc. I was captive while there, but could not wait for the date to end.
You want to go there again? – I dated someone for a couple of months, but I learned she liked going to the same two restaurants that her family went to. She was charming and nice, but after going to one place a half a dozen times and another more than a few, I was encouraging of other venues. That was not the reason our relationship waned, but I must confess not going back to those two restaurants ever again.
We really must pray before the meal – one of the funniest blind dates occurred when a friend set me up with a minister without telling me. I was not expecting the answer that she gave me when I asked what she did. She was a nice woman, but I was too immature to get past thinking it was a sin to imagine carnal knowledge with a minister.
Prom dates need to pace themselves – I think many of us have had prom dates where too much drinking occurred. But, our double date before the prom started consisted of far too many Screwdrivers. When we arrived first to the prom, my date waved with a big gesture to the other couple when they arrived. When she did she fell backwards and for some unknown reason, I was able to catch her with one arm, six inches from the ground and straighten her up. Talk about scared.
Did you like how I parked my car? – when dating a college friend, I offended her when I suggested we use her car, so a friend could use mine. She broke our date after I arrived, so I tried to back down a long, hilly and angled driveway. I drove off into a rock garden and my car got stuck. My last sight of her was as she watched from a large window as her father towed my car off his rock garden.
Where did that horse come from? – as I was sneaking out of my girlfriend’s parent’s house after she moved into their basement apartment, I was unaware her horse was in the field next to the driveway. At 3 am, while pitch black dark, as I edged toward my car, the horse snorted and scared the bejesus out of me. If a horse could laugh…
I guess my audition failed – this actually occurred with the above horse owner. We went to a community play where folded chairs were placed on raised platforms. When we returned from intermission, unbeknownst to me, one of my chair legs moved off the back of the platform. As I took a sip of wine, I noticed my date moving forward in slow motion. In actuality, I was falling and made a huge crash when I hit the floor on my chair. It was indeed funny and the only thing hurt was my ego.
I am sure my dates can share stories about me. It is all about perspective. When I look back at my dating before I met my wife, I wish I had been more mature on occasion. Tell me your funny or surprising date stories. I am sure you can top mine.
musingsofanoldfart 
Note to Readers: I have shared before my future wife invited me for a drink with her brother and sister-in-law. When I accepted, she had to call and invite her brother, as he was the prop if the conversation waned. My future wife’s sister-in-law could not make it. Apparently, my future wife and her brother had a signal worked out that he would depart if his conversation was unneeded to make our drink date successful. The rest is history, at least to our future.
Your minister story reminded me of a blind date. In those days, I frequented a gym, and a man there was quite openly flirtatious, and often inappropriate. I complained to a friend who offered to set me up on a blind date with a minister, and I hesitantly agreed. Turned out it was the man from the gym. I was so shocked I backed out, saying “I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot-pole. You’ve got the bible in one hand and the devil on your shoulder.”
VJ, talk about a disillusioning course of events! Hoping to find a comfortable setting only to have it torn apart. I have met some wonderful ministers over the years, but I have met a few that give me pause. Keith
Lol. Sure made me chuckle.
VJ, I shared your story with my wife and she said “oh no” at your realization of who your blind date was. Keith
Thanks for the shout out Keith and your funny stories top mine for sure. Omg the rock garden was a sure bet never to see that girl again. I am so laughing about the horse eating the leg of your chair and the other one snorting at you.. hahhah🤣
I’ll never forget when my mother the private investigator came home and barged into my room. I was not allowed to have a boy in my room and we were just kissing … we scrambled.. she looked everywhere and found him under the bed. I was grounded AGAIN! Turns out I married him.. 🤣
Cindy, I love that you married the boy under the bed. That would be a great novel. Keith
PS – You are welcome on the shout out. I told my wife your blind date story for your daughter. My wife’s mother set my wife up with her dentist. One date, but no chemistry. Keith
Great post Keith.
Thanks Alison.
Note to Readers: One blind date we actually seemed to hit it off. But, what was strange, my date was headed out of town the next day to be a camp counselor the rest of the summer. By the time she returned after two tours of counseling that summer, whatever interest had subsided.
The rock garden one… That one is one of those everybody else finds funny and takes years for the hapless person to see the humour.
My first reaction on a few blind dates was:
‘Oh,’
Not in a good way.
The feeling might have been mutual for all I know.
Roger, the rock garden irritated me primarily because she could have told me that on the phone and avoided my driving 45 minutes to see her. It is funny in retrospect, as you note. Aa for your feeling on blind dates, you likely put off a vibe that you would rather be elsewhere, so if it was not mutual, it soon was. Keith
Very true Keith.
Selling your point view and thus yourself is one thing in a place of work. Having to do the same on your time off is wearing.
Roger so true. As I was writing this I kept thinking the easier it is to tell a date about yourself should be taken as a sign that this might work out. Keith
Note to Readers II: One of the funniest movie scenes was in the movie with Diane Lane, John Cusak and Christopher Plummer called “Must Love Dogs.” Both Lane’s character and her father played by Plummer embellished their ages, pictures and dating profiles. They showed up for their respective blind dates and it turned out to be with each other. Now that is funny. Keith