There are a bazillion sites on the web for meeting a significant other. They range from those for people who are serious about findng a lifelong partner to those who are in a relationship looking for something illicit on the side. There are some sites that are used for their dating-site-like features that aren’t even dating sites!
Of course, if you’re already in a relationship - or you’re married, like I am - you’re probably not out looking for a new special someone. What would be nice, though, is a way to find other “compatible” couples to hang out with.
See, we have a few friends who have kids. Some of them have older kids. Some have younger kids. And there is still the issue of age, interests, and distance. It’s difficult to find a good match.
So where is the technology to help with this?
One thing that Berta and I have really enjoyed since we’ve been together is travelling. And while it’s alright travelling by ourselves with the kids, I think it would be even better if two families could go; Our family and another couple with their kids. It’s really just a companionship thing. It’s fun to share your vacation with someone who is actually there with you. We’ve done a few vacations this way, and it’s been better than if we go by ourselves.
I have gotten recommendations from people who say to go look at church groups for friends. The fact of the matter is, we’re not really church-going people, and we’re probably not going to be “best friends forever” with people who are. There’s just a certain fundamental difference of behavior there that would be a barrier.
And even if we found a social situation in which we could meet other couples, there’s no guarantee that we’re all going to be the right age or economic status, or have the same number or age of kids, or enjoy doing other things beyond what that social group does.
And it’s not that I don’t like our current couple friends, it’s just that everyone lives so far away, and our kids are not all playdate matches. Abby doesn’t really have anyone her age to play with among our friend’s kids, at least none that it’s easy to cart her or them to the other’s house to play and visit.
So who’s going to start the “couple dating” service? I imagine that it’s just an issue of filling out a questionnaire and matching people with the same likes and dislikes. How useful would this be?
I suppose I shouldn’t really dedicate myself to this until after we move this year, since it would suck to make a good friend and then move away. But it’s something I’m going to put more thought into as we go into the future. I will solve this problem somehow. I’m not going to be stuck without couple friends after I’m 35, and I’ve seen other happy couple-couples to know that’s what I want. I must become proactive.
