Divorce can be an awful ordeal that leaves you feeling isolated, down, and doubtful about the future. Once you feel it’s time to start meeting new people and dating again – online dating can really help.
I was divorced after two years of marriage, and it knocked my life off-balance for a long time. Eventually, it was time to start dating again, and online dating eased back into the social scene.
The primary appeal of online dating for me was that it’s simple and convenient. You type in some background, some information you’re willing to share with potential dates, maybe a photo or two, and you’re done. Anyone who contacts you about getting together is already at least somewhat interested, so there’s a lot less worry on that front.
Being able to put my profile “out there” for others to see and then simply waiting for responses was much easier than the usual challenges of meeting friends of friends or co-workers, or spending night after night in bars and nightclubs.
After a few months, I realized that I had gone on dates with almost a dozen different people! I would never have met that many people, with interests and outlooks similar to my own, any other way. The sheer variety of folks online dating can get you in contact with in a short period of time is fantastic.
I also loved reading through the profiles of others on the site. I found a lot of very funny, very entertaining people that way, and contacted a few. Some replied, some didn’t, but even if they didn’t there wasn’t the same sense of rejection I sometimes felt in face-to-face encounters – it was just, “on to the next one!”
Perhaps the best thing about online dating for me was that I didn’t have anxiety over wondering what these people would think when I told them I was divorced. I was very nervous about meeting someone off-line I liked, maybe hitting it off, and then having the whole thing turn sour when I revealed that I had been divorced.
That fear was completely gone with online dating. Anyone who read my profile already knew I was divorced before even contacting me about a date! In fact, many of the people who wrote to me were themselves divorced. We were in similar situations, and knew even before meeting in person that we had a bit of shared history. I found it surprisingly comforting.
I haven’t found another true love from online dating, at least not yet; but I have met many new people, and really enjoyed getting to know them all. Someday I imagine I’ll fall in love again, marry again, and when I do – I’m pretty sure it will be with someone I met through online dating.
