The First Date

First dates are the best. The date allows two people to initially get to know each other while hopefully have fun that the same time. I have been on more first dates than any man should have to bear. They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is the guy's one and only chance to prove to the woman that he isn't a complete idiot or a psycho. Sometimes a guy can get so caught up in not trying to be an idiot that he completely destroys the very edifice he is trying to construct. At the very same time as his image goes to who knows where, his chances of getting a second date suddenly grow wings and fly off to neverland as well. Unfortunately we live in a society where certain feelings and desires are not always black and white. If a guy passes through the gauntlet with minimal or no damage, he must then somehow decipher by some code known only to women if she desires a second date. This generally occurs at the end of a date, which in an of itself can be a very awkward situation. There are three possible endings for a date, and I have experienced all three. First, and probably most common is the hug. This is a potentially good sign since the girl is in essence saying "well you didn't turn me off enough to not want to be withing hugging distance of you." The second is saying goodnight and just walking away. This is usually not a good sign. The third is the handshake. The funny thing about the handshake, and this is probably the most awkward way to end a date, is that is makes the date seem more of a business deal than anything else. For a habitual dater like myself, dating can sometimes feel like "business as usual."