21st Century Love

All little girls (well most little girls) dream of growing up and marrying the boy of their dreams. Which if you are a toddler or young child, that is typically your father. (It is a phase we all go through) Weird, but sweet at the same time. Eventually, you realize that is not socially acceptable. It is disturbing. BUT I digress… Thankfully, my dreams came true.

In this day and age, it is almost impossible to meet someone in person. What do I mean by this? Well , you know how you sit and binge watch 47 hallmark movies around Christmas (maybe you do this not around Christmas too…)? And these hallmark movies show the “just lost her job girl” or “just got dumped girl” or “just left my old life girl” or “life is falling apart girl” walking through the grocery store or any store for that matter of a very small town (because this is pretty much how it always happens), and she runs into the most perfectly sweet, beautiful man. This man instantly falls in love with her, and he spends the rest of the movie being perfect, trying to win her over. Swoon. THIS. IS. NOT. REAL. LIFE. Hallmark has ruined us all. Guys do not just walk up to you (nor do women) and ask you out right there on the spot.

However, you can find the most imperfect man that is perfect for YOU.

Kayla Rowe (mixed in with other authors, probably)

If you set out to find love with a checklist, and you expect to find a human that matches EVERY single one of those, you are setting yourself up for failure. “But Kayla, my husband met every single one of mine!” My response would be, “Bull Shit!” (Well at least that is what I would want to say) But I would probably settle with, “Did he, Really?” Because if so then you are the only person I have ever met that has said that. Do not get me wrong though, you can get close.

At 27, I thought my life was going to be spent living alone without finding anyone to love or love me back. I was slightly dramatic. This was right around the time when everyone was using some sort of dating app to meet people. I HATED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. (Dating is the worst. Can I get an Amen?!) I went out with multiple different guys. All of which turned out to be jerks who just wanted a “fling”. Which in today’s age the best term to describe this is “Netflix & Chill”. Look it up if you do not know what I am talking about. So I deleted the dating apps. I say apps in plural because there are like a million out there. It is daunting just to try and figure out which app is the “new” app to use. It is hard to keep track! Like a diet though, the hiatus from dating did not last long (thank goodness). Otherwise, I would have never met my husband.

I found out about a new dating app called Bumble, where the girl has to message the guy first in order for him to be able to contact her, at all. Jacob and I ended up matching within the first couple days after downloading it. I think my conversation starter is what really sealed the deal with him, “hey <insert winky face>”. The rest is history! We met 2 weeks later, he proposed 4 months later, and we married 5 months later. Yes, I was married to my husband in less than a year of meeting him. It was amazing! I do not regret any of it. We are going on year 4 now with 2 beautiful baby girls!

Finding love in the 21st Century can happen. It just may not be in the way you envisioned it. Online dating is here to stay. AND not all the dating apps are horrible, just most of them. If at first you don’t succeed, please don’t give up. Your Prince Charming may still be just a swipe away. Sometimes, you get lucky.

Oh and remember….

Trying to find the perfect partner is like searching for dinosaurs in the 21st century.

Anonymous