Yeah, I Did That

At a wedding this past weekend, I remarked that I had pretty much tried every tactic in the modern dating scene to "get out there and meet people." I've done the online dating sites, gone speed dating, attended singles group events, ran a singles group for a short while, and even tried the now defunct "Crazy Blind Date" whereby I was set up to go on blind dates at a very short notice.

This week, I stumbled onto an old email reminding me of one tactic that I had tried, but didn't remember that I did. I responded to an ad on Criagslist. Oh yeah, you read that right. Craigslist. The place where you buy other people's used stuff. Reading the email, I remembered that, at the time, I couldn't believe that I was doing something that felt like a last resort. Criagslist, I remember thinking, was for creepers.

And I also remember thinking, "No one must ever know about this."

Well, it's been two years since that fateful email. And frankly, at this point, having had the absurdest first dates and last dates that have kept me and my friends rolling on the floor with laughter for years after the fact, one email sent to a man unknown on Craigslist seems almost benign.

It would have been a better story had he replied and we'd had some sort of contact. But he didn't. Months later, I'd find his picture on another online dating site where his profile said something very similar to his Craigslist post. I remember thinking, "HA! Had you replied to my post you wouldn't have had to be on this stupid dating site."

So here's the email I sent that fateful night over two years ago. As I read my email today, I'm struck by how I came right out and said I was bright, funny, fun and cute. And made references to the Spanish Inquisition. Yeah, romantic, I know...

Just as a background, he was a white guy who had said he was of the Christian persuasion, and the title of his Criagslist post was "Asian and Ready to Marry."

Glad to hear you're NOT an Asian woman, as that would make things very, very awkward, since, well... I am. "Ready to marry" is a concept that has many, many interpretations, but that's discussion for a later date.

I stumbled on your Craigslist ad completely by accident. (Ok, I know that's probably not the most original statement, but I promise you, this is completely true.) It was very late, and I was basically looking for something to laugh at. "Asian and ready to marry" seemed like perfect fodder for that. I was, however, pleasantly surprised at your sincerity and your willingness to put up a clear, undoctored picture of yourself. Kudos on the risk taking. It was enough to get my curiosity piqued. So here I am, doing something I never thought I'd do - responding to a personal ad on Criagslist. But hey, it's a new decade.

Alright, a little about me. I'm a 32 year old Christian woman living in West LA. I'm very serious about my faith. I matured in my faith in a non-denominational setting, so I'm more inclined to church environments that are "low church" - i.e. not very traditional.

I've been living in LA for 2 years now. Got relocated here for work. Now, it's a career that I wish were merely a job. I'm a graduate of Northwestern University. I'm a writer at heart, and hoping that one day, before I die, I can be a writer by trade.

 I'm bright, funny, and very fun. I think I'm pretty cute, although not LA cute (if you don't know what that means, then we'll get along just fine). I'm easily amused and inclined to laugh loudly and often.

 I hold honesty in very high value. I have an extremely curious nature and often ask many, many, many questions. In fact, I am brimming with questions for you, but will hold back so as not to well... appear like the Spanish Inquisition.

 I'm sending not one, but TWO pictures of me. They are happy pictures. And as a sign of not being a scam, I'm sending you e-mail from my personal, real, e-mail account, not the dummy one I use for dating sites. I'm even giving you my first name. Imagine that.