Hope in a Potted Plant
It’s been a while, hasn’t it?
The last few months have been wild:
- I began teaching two intro English classes at my alma mater, which has been an incredible learning experience. (Does anyone want to hear about the trials and tribulations of teaching college freshmen? Because I have some *stories*)
- I moved into an adorable English cottage-style house that I have been slowly transforming into a home. (Mid Century Modern vibes all the way)
- I met and started dating someone I really care about. (*gasp*)
My sincere apologies to my highly organized, must-start-at-number-one readers, but let’s address the third point in today’s post.
My previous post was about the many nightmarish qualities of using dating apps, so how ironic is it that I finally met a great guy, right?
Well, apparently I just needed to meet someone who had never used dating apps and remains blissfully unaware of just how awful the experience can be.
On our first date at a downtown coffee, wine, and cocktail bar, he brought me a potted plant. At first, I didn’t even notice it and simply assumed it was part of the table setting. But when he told me the adorable plant was mine, I was immediately touched. Did I really luck out and meet a thoughtful man who put in a bit of extra effort?
Turns out I did! It wasn’t until later that I found out just how nervous he was to meet me. For more than a week, we’d been chatting on the dating app–for hours every day–and learned a lot about each other. I went into the date like any other, hoping that our virtual chemistry translated to in-person chemistry. When we talked just like we did on the app, flowing seamlessly from one topic to another, bringing up our nerdiest interests (and even broaching some not-usually-for-the-first-date topics), I knew that there was some exciting potential there.
And that potential has been realized and continues to grow. I’ve never found someone so endearingly kind, thoughtful, and intelligent. And funny! (He doesn’t believe he’s as funny as he is, but he consistently makes me laugh.) I now have three plants from him that have been added to my modest collection. I’m definitely not on the level of “plant mom” yet, but my collection of hard-to-kill plants continues to grow.
I obviously don’t know what the next months and years will bring, but I know that I’ve found a person who I didn’t believe I’d find. At least, not anytime soon. So, if you are struggling on dating apps with a jaded attitude and little hope to ever meet someone worth sticking around for, maybe you should look for a nerdy, kind, intelligent person who hasn’t been on dating apps for years. And maybe they will bring you a plant on your first date.
