Strategic dating

When one thinks of dating - the following images comes up - romantic candlelit dinners, walks on the bridge on a starry night...or perhaps I'm revisiting the scenes of a lame romantic comedy.

Perhaps its just my cynicism kicking in, but these days in the dating world, it all seems like a game. You and your date are the players and you both go to the battlefield with your strategies. The battle then comes to a stop. Its half time and the troops retreat back to their stations, waiting to battle it once more. Does it sound familiar? The girl gives the boy power by accepting or declining the date. The power then shifts after the date. The girl waits for the boy to call her back and then the game officially begins. Of course, it could always be the other way around. For my part and for most my comrades part, thats how the game starts.

When was it that dating became such a strategic, carefully thought out agenda. When did it stop being an innocent, carefree event where both people genuinely interested in each other simply go out to see if they are compatible. Maybe it never was and movies just simply glamorised the niceties of dates.

As a girl, if you enjoyed your date, you are reminded to stay calm and nonchalent so you don't seem so available. Throw the bait and wait for it to bite. As a guy, you need to watch out for the best time for intimate moments. You can either be frigid if you wait too long or alternatively (in extreme cases) dragged to the police station for alleged molestation. Either way, for both genders, the boundaries in dating in analogous to that of a minefield. Take each step with caution or the mine explodes - your date never to be seen again.

This year has definitely opened my eyes to the world of dating. To be honest, I'm a novice but after a few trial and errors, I've realised that for the dates to keep coming and for the dates to amount to anything else, a well thought out plan is a necessity. To be continued...