Bad dates

I found a bunch of questions online to ask on a first date so things wouldn’t be awkward. I decided to memorize a few and use them. It was a disaster. Somehow, without realizing it, I only asked questions about childhood. The guy I was having drinks with had a terrible childhood and didn’t want to answer questions. He accused me of pulling some Freudian analysis thing on him, threw down cash to cover his drinks (not mine) and left. I felt, and still feel, awful, but he’s not responding to my apologies. The worst part is we had real chemistry before the conversation got weird. I don’t know why I kept pressing him to answer except that I was nervous. How can I let him know I’m sorry and want to try again?

Your apology let him know that you are sorry. Now let him go. He said no, you pushed and he took care of himself by leaving a situation that no longer felt fun or safe to him. Expecting an acquaintance to respond to your apology seems odd. He’s not responsible for helping you to feel better. That’s your job. Forgive yourself for ignoring his refusal to let you riffle through the chapters of his life. Praise yourself for being interested. Caution yourself to slow down and pay attention in conversation. No means no.

You would be better served in the future by challenging your own thoughts. Like this: Why were you concerned that the date would be awkward? That worry drove you to find a solution outside of you. Clinging to that solution distracted you from seeing that the icebreaker questions were not working as you had hoped. If you want to create a connection that feels open and vulnerable, be open and vulnerable. Say that you are nervous. Tell a story from your own childhood. Pick a memory that doesn’t make you seem needy for consolation or anything else. Choose a story that inspires your happiness or reveals your capacity to overcome a difficulty. Tell a date a story because you need to hear it to soothe your nerves and remember who you are.

Why do people date so haphazardly? They don’t want marriage or a lifetime commitment. They want to have fun without responsibility or friendship. How can a black woman find a man worthy of her? Should I keep trying to meet someone or just work on myself?

Detach yourself from the duality. It isn’t “find a worthy man” or “work on myself.” Find the “and” within you and live from that place. Start here: Be a woman who trusts herself to be worthy of the life she desires and who invests in being her best self. Practice openness in regard to time, too. Your mind is locked on the clock and calendar. If you enter the flow (time outside the box), frustration eases because your energy is devoted to creating the life you desire, not on what you imagine is lacking. In other words, be intentional. Don’t live haphazardly by basing your choices on who shows up in your life and who doesn’t. Make a lifetime commitment to you.