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Dating Triumphs and Tragedies
by Nicole Roberge

The Cereal Dater

We’ve all heard about it, and some of us may have feared at some point that we were doing it.  In fact, I was just a little worried that I was one.  Yes, that dreaded label.  A “Cereal Dater.”  No, that’s correct.  Did you think I meant “Serial Dater?”  Sorry, my friends, I know what I’m talking about, and I am no Serial Dater.  I may have gone on a few dates lately, but I do not, I repeat, DO NOT, have a problem.  If anything, I am merely a Cereal Dater.

In my quest to find love…or rather…“like,” I found myself looking for the cute and fun and sane fishies in the sea.  Actually, comparing guys to fish kind of weirds me out.  The truth is, I was trying to find a guy whose company I could enjoy and who would also enjoy spending time with me.  Is that so much to ask? 

Apparently so.

I started out with one: dinner (sushi, yuck), and then we watched TV shows on DVD…I was bored.  Oh, and he sang the theme song every time it came on!  He ended up being the aforementioned “stalker.”

Two: Lunch, and a freezing cold walk with his dog.  So cold, and I have a low body temperature.  He ended up not really being much of a talker, and also having issues with people who weren’t like him, which he would probably say is “perfect,” but I would say is insert bad words here.

Three:  Dinner and drinks.  Shy at first, but warmed up.  Hmm…this could be something.  We made it past the first date and on the second he cooked for me.  Very impressive.  The third I got to see his grumpy side come out.  The fourth was back to fun.  The fifth, I got see how he sort of shut down emotionally…it was beyond grumpy.  And eventually, we just faded out.  I was a little disappointed at first, but more so because I was thinking of the guy from Date #2.  I liked that guy.  Other than that…moving on.

Four: Dinner and Downtime.  Fun, nice and laidback.  Just my type.  It was probably the longest dinner I have ever had because we spent most of it talking and laughing.  He was a little more mature than the last guy, which I also liked.  After dinner, we just decided to hang out, which again, is fine by me.  And was fine, until the amount of alcohol in him started to accumulate, and the switch flipped, and I realized that funny, carefree guy gets a little belligerent under the influence.  Not so good.  Bye-bye.

So, back to the drawing board?  Or is it time for a break?  Maybe.  Some time to just recoup from all of that might do me some good.  I realize dating is a process, and no one, unless very lucky, is going to find the person of their dreams on date #1—it takes some searching, or some luck.  So dating is just that—going out and meeting new people.  There is nothing wrong with it, and though people joke about “serial dating”—a long pattern of short-term dating—I say that it is more a case of “Cereal Dating.”  Just like there are more fish in the sea, there are so many different kinds of cereal down the aisle.  Guy #1 was more like Cheerios, whereas #2 was definitely Bran Flakes.  Didn’t even have raisins to spice things up.  Guy #3 was Special K—nutritious and tasty.  Smart, but not dull.  #4 was Rice Krispies—Snap, Krackle, POP!

Each had their own personality and flavor, just like the next guy will…and…ugh…probably the next guy.  So, it’s Cereal Dating.  And it all comes down to finding the cereal that is right for you and that you like best.  Sometimes, you think one is your favorite, but then you try something new and it surprises you how much you like it.  And sometimes, you realize what you used to like, you don’t anymore.  It’s all about traveling the cereal aisle and exploring new options.  That’s dating.  Just be sure to hold the cart steady—no wheelies.  Dating is chaotic enough!

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