Dear Person from a Socially Conservative Upbringing: You Need to Date
You honestly do. I know they said you don’t. But you do.
“I wish I dated more.”
We were on a camping trip — me, my sister, an older female friend from church and another older male friend from the same church who was driving us all into the great Ontario wilderness (well… ok, fine. Guelph. We were driving to Guelph. But when you’ve grown up in Toronto, everything north of Steeles or east of Kipling is bush.)
At the time my male friend had been married for at least thirty-five years with two children and three grandchildren. His family was thriving and he seemed happy and fulfilled. (He still is married and still seems happy — don’t worry).
But when asked about any regrets in life on that long journey to Guelph (when you are driving in the wilderness you have time to ask questions), he said that he wished he had dated more.
I couldn’t understand it.
If you had married the woman of your dreams, why would it even matter whether or not you had dated more?
At that point, I hadn’t dated — like, at all. I must’ve been in my early twenties. I didn’t see the point in dating. People’s arguments (“dating helps you get to know yourself” *rolls eyes*)…
