Budget Dating

So we all know that economically-speaking, times are tough on the wallet these days. Seems like every news article you read in the past couple of weeks is about the stock market, real estate, banks, etc. taking a downward turn. It's enough to make a guy think twice before asking someone on a date. Can I afford this evening? Will the return on my investment be worth the $50-$100 I shell out for this fancy dinner?

Okay guys, I've got great news for you---you don't have to drop a lot of cash for your date to be impressed. In fact, do yourself a favor and follow my date outline below and you will not only impress your date, you will weed-out the people that are vapid and vacuous and don't have the depth of character that you are looking for anyway! Here's the plan:

Ask your date if she would like to go for a walk on the beach and have a picnic and watch the sunset. Pack a backpack with yummy cheese, bread, chocolate, fruit, and sandwiches or salad. Ask your date beforehand what their favorite foods are and pack some of that stuff (it shows that you listen and that you care!)

Trust me on this one, your date will be very impressed with your creativity and thoughtfulness and since you won't have a waiter interuppting you every 10 minutes to ask you how you like your meal, you will have a lot more time to talk and get to know each other a little better. A walk on the beach or a hike is a low-pressure way to connect with someone and isn't that really the purpose of a date? Don't let your account balance stand in the way of finding a squeeze!

How Deep Is Your Love?

It all started a week ago when I rediscovered the Bee Gees ballad, How Deep Is Your Love. It got me thinking about my relationship…where is it headed, where do I want it to go, does it even matter to speculate when it is really just in God’s hands? Maybe its that opening line, ‘and the moment that you wander far from me I want to feel you in my arms again’. That’s want I want someone to feel about me. Maybe this is what I want more than the actual relationship. I want to know that someone yearns for me, that someone feels that I make their personal airtime more interesting, more fulfilling, more….something special. Rather than the everyday doldrums of pre-workday and post-workday phone calls where you don’t actually talk about how you feel about each other as much as you just kvetch about the schedule or the trials and tribulations of the day. Is this the path to the deeper love, or is this another distraction that keeps the focus on the brain rather than the heart. I want to break it open, I want to see what the inside looks like when you feel sadness, fear, joy.
'It’s me that you need to show, how deep is your love. Cause we’re living in a world of fools breakin’ us down.' Why are we spending those precious cell phone minutes talking about the client that is passive-aggressive or the employee that is jacking around when what is really important is…..How deep is your love? 'I believe in you, you’re the light in my deepest, darkest hour.' What a great line. How would you feel if someone wrote that line about you? This is what I’m looking for. A connection that goes beyond the superficial, the everyday, the ordinary. Is this possible for civilians outside of the music industry? Can a non lyric-writing guy or gal muster up the courage to turn their heart inside out and share how deep their love is?