Best. Date. Ever.

January 7, 2011

Today I had the best date of my entire life.

I realize that's a pretty low bar, but I have to say that from now on, the bar will be ridiculously high.

This is my co-worker's friend, Smoker. Smoker picks me up at 1pm today and we grab hoagies. I eat all of mine because I went for a 4 mile run this morning and I'm STARVING. I know-- poor date etiquette.
Then we go to a used bookstore and talk about all the books we've read. We buy each other books. Then we grab coffee. We share our 'deal-breaker' baggage, in case the other one wants to get out now. He's a smoker, a recovering alcoholic, etc. I was a missionary and go to church most Sundays. We talk a lot and he's the first person I've dated in YEARS that can talk more than me. He's smart and interesting and witty and he doesn't talk all the time- I still talk a lot. We go to another book store. We listen to music.

Here's the thing. He is nothing like anyone I've ever dated. He's an ethnic Jew, but was raised an Atheist and has been practicing Buddhism since he went into recovery. He doesn't drink. He does smoke. He's tall- like way over 6 feet. This is pretty much the opposite of every person I've been in a relationship with.

But here's the thing. We have similar taste in music and books. We have similar political beliefs. We have similar views on the role family plays in our lives. We have jobs that make us happy and that we're good at. I've never had any of that in a relationship.

I still don't know. I like my bottle of wine. and whiskey. and beer. And my faith is an important part of who I am. I'm not sure of how this works out. But there's a part of me that's realizing that I've been fishing out of the same spot for years and getting nothing and it's possible I've just been looking in the wrong place.