Good ol' MSN never fails to disappoint. I found an article in the Faith-Based subsection of their Dating articles section entitled "8 great first dates." (I figured it would be a treasure trove of amusement.) My comments in italics.
Here are the suggested dates:
1. Putt-putt your way to love. “A miniature golf course is fun and you can talk,” says Jon Caroulis of Philadelphia, PA. “But make sure you have a backup plan in case it rains or if it’s too hot or too chilly.” Tip: If you’re a scratch golfer, give up a stroke or two in the interest of building a good relationship.
Mini golf is definitely a good idea. It's fun; it's outdoorsy. It gives you a good idea what kind of sport the other person is -- it's a good sign if they aren't great at it but can still have fun & be goofy, or if they're great at it but don't take it too seriously. FYI Keith, I read this article after suggesting that we go mini golfing.
2. Serve others. “I’m pretty shy and didn’t want to ask her out for a proper date right off,” says Stewart Simms of Charlotte, NC. “So I asked her if she wanted to go with me to do some community service, which was part of our singles ministry at church. We were focused on doing good work while we got to know each other better.”
This is actually a good idea for getting to know a person better. I wouldn't necessarily count it as a "date" per se, but it will give you insight about the person. And if volunteering is something important to you it would be nice to find out if she shares that passion.
3. Picnic for two. “Picnics aren’t something you do everyday,” says Jerry Moore of New York City, NY. “Even if you’re not a great cook, you can pick up some tasty morsels at your local grocery, grab a blanket and head out.”
Again MSN suggests one of my favorite date ideas. There's something adorably old fashioned about a picnic. And the food can be as simple as french bread and cheese or pbj which is kind of whimsical or grab some take out even; it doesn't have to be a big deal. Also if the weather happens to not cooperate or if it's wintertime, you can have an indoor picnic. Now not everyone recognizes the cuteness of the indoor picnic, but I'm telling you it's adorable.
4. Go exploring. “I love the local children’s museum,” notes Bette Roberts of San Francisco, CA. “It’s got lots of goofy hands-on exhibits that are totally fun. Going there lets me find out if my date takes himself too seriously—and if he doesn’t like kids.”
This is a cute idea. Museums in general are a great idea. You can share in something on an intellectual level and/or take something boring (let's face it, museums/certain exhibits can be boring) and turn it into something fun. Never underestimate the importance of someone who can turn something mundane into a laughter filled event.
5. Be creative. “You can learn a lot about a guy if he’ll agree to go paint pottery with you,” says Allison Wade of Tacoma, WA. “You can talk as you’re painting, but there are distractions so it’s not all you all the time."
First of all, I love painting pottery, it's great. But the whole talking as you're painting idea doesn't really tend to work out. Every time I've gone, my friends & I get so engrossed in our pieces that it ends up being awhile spent in silence, which is great when you're comfortable with people and moments of talking do tend to be sprinkled here & there, but on a first date that much silence might be awkward. Or you'd end up paying more attention to conversing than painting and then you're left with crappy pottery & I'm pretty sure no one wants that.
6. Browsing. “My favorite first date was at a record store,” recalls Nell Tousseau of Austin, TX. “We both liked music and we spent an hour or so going through the bins, telling each other about our favorite bands.” Other options: Antique or thrift stores, video or book shops or, if you’re really daring, adult entertainment emporiums.
Mmmkay . . . might I remind everyone that this was found in the Faith-Based section? Maybe I'm a little conservative, but I'm pretty sure that browsing an "adult entertainment emporium" isn't really ever the place to go on a date with someone who takes their faith seriously, but a first date? Really? What planet are we on? The other suggestions are great. At the antique store you could find various random objects and come up with creative ideas for how to use them. At the thrift store you could pick out wacky outfits for one another. At the bookstore you can browse cool books or sit down and read children's books to each other. And of course the record store is a good idea for the reasons they mentioned. Just try to avoid "adult" places on dates. Or not on dates for that matter.
7. Get trivial. “You can get an instant read on your date at a trivia night,” says Derrick Marcus of Boston. “You find out what interests her without having to ask a lot of lame questions.”
Trivia can be a tricky one. I for one love trivia, but sometimes I have off nights & a girl does not want to feel stupid in front of a guy on the first date. This would be one to wait a little while on until she feels comfortable enough to make a fool of herself in front of you or to pwn you in trivia. And don't be afraid to ask lame questions to get to know her. If she likes you she won't think they're lame. Or if they are lame, maybe it just means you're lame & it's better for her to figure that out now anyway.
8. Bible study. “Go to a nice library or a quiet coffee house and read scripture with your date,” says Danica Miller of La Habra, CA. “It’s low-key and a very nice way to study the Bible and spend time together.”
Religious and spiritual matters are useful to discuss early on so that you know where a person stands before you get too attached. But Bible study can/should be a very intimate thing and really wouldn't be appropriate for a first date. It would be okay to talk about some of your favorite Bible passages, but anything beyond that might engender an inappropriate level of intimacy in a fledgling relationship.
There you have it. Hope you were as amused as I was. Well, that may not be possible as I tend to amuse myself to a degree that is far beyond what is reasonable, but hopefully you were at least half as amused as I was. :)
Here are the suggested dates:
1. Putt-putt your way to love. “A miniature golf course is fun and you can talk,” says Jon Caroulis of Philadelphia, PA. “But make sure you have a backup plan in case it rains or if it’s too hot or too chilly.” Tip: If you’re a scratch golfer, give up a stroke or two in the interest of building a good relationship.
Mini golf is definitely a good idea. It's fun; it's outdoorsy. It gives you a good idea what kind of sport the other person is -- it's a good sign if they aren't great at it but can still have fun & be goofy, or if they're great at it but don't take it too seriously. FYI Keith, I read this article after suggesting that we go mini golfing.
2. Serve others. “I’m pretty shy and didn’t want to ask her out for a proper date right off,” says Stewart Simms of Charlotte, NC. “So I asked her if she wanted to go with me to do some community service, which was part of our singles ministry at church. We were focused on doing good work while we got to know each other better.”
This is actually a good idea for getting to know a person better. I wouldn't necessarily count it as a "date" per se, but it will give you insight about the person. And if volunteering is something important to you it would be nice to find out if she shares that passion.
3. Picnic for two. “Picnics aren’t something you do everyday,” says Jerry Moore of New York City, NY. “Even if you’re not a great cook, you can pick up some tasty morsels at your local grocery, grab a blanket and head out.”
Again MSN suggests one of my favorite date ideas. There's something adorably old fashioned about a picnic. And the food can be as simple as french bread and cheese or pbj which is kind of whimsical or grab some take out even; it doesn't have to be a big deal. Also if the weather happens to not cooperate or if it's wintertime, you can have an indoor picnic. Now not everyone recognizes the cuteness of the indoor picnic, but I'm telling you it's adorable.
4. Go exploring. “I love the local children’s museum,” notes Bette Roberts of San Francisco, CA. “It’s got lots of goofy hands-on exhibits that are totally fun. Going there lets me find out if my date takes himself too seriously—and if he doesn’t like kids.”
This is a cute idea. Museums in general are a great idea. You can share in something on an intellectual level and/or take something boring (let's face it, museums/certain exhibits can be boring) and turn it into something fun. Never underestimate the importance of someone who can turn something mundane into a laughter filled event.
5. Be creative. “You can learn a lot about a guy if he’ll agree to go paint pottery with you,” says Allison Wade of Tacoma, WA. “You can talk as you’re painting, but there are distractions so it’s not all you all the time."
First of all, I love painting pottery, it's great. But the whole talking as you're painting idea doesn't really tend to work out. Every time I've gone, my friends & I get so engrossed in our pieces that it ends up being awhile spent in silence, which is great when you're comfortable with people and moments of talking do tend to be sprinkled here & there, but on a first date that much silence might be awkward. Or you'd end up paying more attention to conversing than painting and then you're left with crappy pottery & I'm pretty sure no one wants that.
6. Browsing. “My favorite first date was at a record store,” recalls Nell Tousseau of Austin, TX. “We both liked music and we spent an hour or so going through the bins, telling each other about our favorite bands.” Other options: Antique or thrift stores, video or book shops or, if you’re really daring, adult entertainment emporiums.
Mmmkay . . . might I remind everyone that this was found in the Faith-Based section? Maybe I'm a little conservative, but I'm pretty sure that browsing an "adult entertainment emporium" isn't really ever the place to go on a date with someone who takes their faith seriously, but a first date? Really? What planet are we on? The other suggestions are great. At the antique store you could find various random objects and come up with creative ideas for how to use them. At the thrift store you could pick out wacky outfits for one another. At the bookstore you can browse cool books or sit down and read children's books to each other. And of course the record store is a good idea for the reasons they mentioned. Just try to avoid "adult" places on dates. Or not on dates for that matter.
7. Get trivial. “You can get an instant read on your date at a trivia night,” says Derrick Marcus of Boston. “You find out what interests her without having to ask a lot of lame questions.”
Trivia can be a tricky one. I for one love trivia, but sometimes I have off nights & a girl does not want to feel stupid in front of a guy on the first date. This would be one to wait a little while on until she feels comfortable enough to make a fool of herself in front of you or to pwn you in trivia. And don't be afraid to ask lame questions to get to know her. If she likes you she won't think they're lame. Or if they are lame, maybe it just means you're lame & it's better for her to figure that out now anyway.
8. Bible study. “Go to a nice library or a quiet coffee house and read scripture with your date,” says Danica Miller of La Habra, CA. “It’s low-key and a very nice way to study the Bible and spend time together.”
Religious and spiritual matters are useful to discuss early on so that you know where a person stands before you get too attached. But Bible study can/should be a very intimate thing and really wouldn't be appropriate for a first date. It would be okay to talk about some of your favorite Bible passages, but anything beyond that might engender an inappropriate level of intimacy in a fledgling relationship.
There you have it. Hope you were as amused as I was. Well, that may not be possible as I tend to amuse myself to a degree that is far beyond what is reasonable, but hopefully you were at least half as amused as I was. :)
Comments
Anyway, a lot of guys don't so shopping in long periods of time -- me being one of them. I grow tired, to be honest. I mean, I like to shop, but I go to stores with a purpose, get what I need and take off very soon after. There isn't much in the way of "browsing." I am sure that going on a shopping date can be fun -- once or twice -- but after that you have to ask yourself why you guys aren't walking a park or sitting in a cafe.
I think you were dead on about the Bible study bit as well -- discussing spiritual matters is important but spending time in the Word together is very very intimate and isn't something I am prone to do with a girl unless I know we're in it for the long haul -- the same thing goes for prayer. I think creating that spiritual link can be more intimate than sex (to a degree, obviously.)
Oh, and pwn?? pwn?!? Okay, I know it's not your fault. It's whimsical and fun to say; however, the very fact that it exists riles me in a way I can't describe. Some sniveling, cramped-hand, computer game dork suffering from Vitamin D deficiency from playing 12 straight days of Quake, Doom, and World of Warcraft in his parents' basement mistypes the word OWNED because his finger flubbed it, and it turns into an ACTUAL WORD?? Sheesh! He had to stick it to the person who he beat instead of just enjoying the game. It was probably the same competitive hubris that made him defend his mispelling as some kind of enlightened new creation. Okay, I'm done. :)