DATING SCHOOL? YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!?

It is never too late to get an education. Learning is a necessity for us to become well rounded interesting individuals and is applicable to any age and at all stages of life. This mantra was drilled into my head from the time I was in utero. I was assured I could pursue any subject I found even remotely interesting. But dating school? A class designed specifically to teach people how to date? I don’t remember having an instructor to help me meet guys. I relied on my friends to introduce me to future boyfriends and seemed to do just fine. Of course I was fourteen….

My middle and high school years were spent hanging out with my cohorts, discussing critical matters such as shoes, make-up and boys, not necessarily in that order. My teachers continued their attempts to seduce me with their propensity for equations or their love for geography. I sighed as I knew I would have little need for these subjects to pursue what would end up being my career. I had a proclivity for the arts so attending a liberal arts college was inevitable. This assured me of being an “expert” in virtually nothing that could generate a reasonable livelihood. I realized later in life I was as limited in scope as I was chock full of passion.

After receiving my degree I became a professor and a Life Coach, both of which I adore. I also found myself divorced and, after a spot of time, wanted to dabble in dating. Or so I thought…apparently, friends as a resource were “out” and online dating was “in.” Suffice it to say I was completely out of my element. Fortunately, being in academics, I lived in the world of books. It made sense to purchase several that addressed this subject including “Dating for Dummies” which seemed like a perfect fit for me. I labored through a handful of chapters being assured of countless success stories from those who persevered. This positive vibe did not gel with the chronicles I was hearing. The masses I spoke with despised the process of dating via computer. Most individuals were perplexed, frustrated and cynical, with waning hope. Against these odds and defying logic, I jumped on line. Initially I wasn't a fan but soon found my groove and began to enjoy the process although I seemed to be a party of one. A single question kept nagging at me. Why was this relatively new format of finding a partner so fundamentally distasteful? I began talking to people about dating and, more importantly, listening to what they said. The general consensus was that most people had no idea what they were doing. After three years of research, I had an “ahah!” moment. A venue was needed where folks could air their questions and garner some answers as to the best way to proceed. This is how the class “The Highs And Woes Of Internet Dating” came to be.

Yes…dating school. A place that offers tools and resources to help us navigate our way through this unfamiliar world.

Truth is we weren't born with the expertise to be a good partner. We fumble around and hopefully improve with time and experience. Why wouldn’t we take advantage of procuring help that could potentially garner us success in reaching our goals? We study all sorts of disciplines in a classroom setting so…why not do the same with dating? These are certainly new challenges yet fortunately we have up to “date” information to help us find our way. It’s never too late to get an education….