hi
This virus has literally taken over our whole lives. I literally walked into the grocery store earlier today without a mask. I didn’t realize I wasn’t wearing a mask until I was in the produce aisle. I remember telling myself “OMG, my face feels cold!” Then I made eye contact with the guy next to me and noticed his mask and I was like “OMG I forgot my mask!” At that exact moment I felt naked. I felt embarrassed walking in that grocery store without a mask as if I didn’t have any clothes on or something. I legit ran to my car to get my mask. But I say all of this to say our world is completely different now, we have to get acclaimed to this “new norm”.
People are more cautious than ever as if germs are something that is foreign to us? Hand sanitizers are being cleaned off of the shelves or being overpriced. It’s completely insane. It’s as if people weren’t even washing their hands before this virus appeared. So, if everybody is a germophobe now and we have to wear masks everywhere we go. How on earth are we going to date? Churches are online now. Bars are closed. Some restaurants are closed or only doing outside dining. Like where are you supposed to meet people? And how do I know if a guy is cute if he has his mask on? What if he is asymptomatic and has Covid-19 but doesn’t know it? What if I kiss him? OMG I’ll for sure get Covid-19 if I kiss this man. This is our reality people. Let’s chat about dating during a pandemic, because dating must go on, we can’t put that on a standstill because of this virus.
Dating apps are at an all-time high due to this pandemic. The way we expected relationships to unfold pre-pandemic are not happening. We aren’t meeting people doing everyday tasks anymore because we are either quarantining in the house, social distancing or out wearing a mask. And I can’t see what you look like under that mask. Am I against dating apps? No. I’m not. But do I think there are some creeps out there? Yes, ma’am I sure do. If you were to get on a dating app and meet somebody you are interested in my suggestion to you would to be, keep the conversation in the app for a few days, and exchange social media accounts. Check out their account, see if y’all have any mutual friends or just make sure the person is who they say they are. Then after they pass that test, I would move to video chatting. Now you don’t have to give your number out just yet. You can video chat through Zoom, Instagram or Facebook. I would say keep it on these apps for a little bit and if you both are liking the way things are going then y’all can exchange numbers and take it from there.
Virtual dating, 2020 has been the year of Zoom dates apparently. While virtual dates aren’t perfect substitutes for in-person meet-ups, seeing someone’s facial expressions helps you get to know them better, and gives you a chance to make sure you like their look without having to worry about whether one of you is asymptomatic. Some virtual date ideas are “Dinner and drinks”, you both order take out and enjoy each other’s company from opposite ends of the phone. Movie night is another great virtual date idea, Netflix party! Enjoy a nice movie together. Or have a virtual picnic. There are so many cool ways to virtually date.
How soon is too soon to ask someone to quarantine for two weeks? Or to stand in line for over an hour to get a COVID rapid test in order to possibly make out? When is it appropriate to tell your roommates that you’re bringing someone new into your home? These are questions we never had to ask ourselves before, but we do now. If you are serious enough about a person that you both would like to meet up in physical form, it is ok to ask to see a negative test result if you are concerned. There is nothing wrong with that. And if you are offended because somebody wants you to take a test before meeting up with them then you probably should be doing some self-evaluation. WE ARE IN A PANDEMIC PEOPLE! Dating is hard right now, I get it. Trust me. But we got this and this too shall pass! LOVE Y’ALL!
