Not sure if there’s been a thread like this recently, but partly prompted by the OKCupid success story, I would like to ask, how did you meet your S.O.? I am mid-40s, (almost!) divorced and really would love to meet someone, but I don’t know where to go. I’ve been to Meet Up, many of the events are far from my home. I don’t have any hobbies. I go to church, everyone’s married. I have gone to bars and met a bunch of frogs. I figure God will bring him to me in good time, and while I wait, you guys can tell me your romantic stories. …
I wouldn’t wait on God to bring him to you. Get on one of the dating sites.
Met mine the old fashioned way. He picked me up in a bar.
My current SO lived across the street, and two doors down from me when we were n high school. Her dad and I worked for the same company. When either one of us were in town, we’d pay a visit to the other’s parent(s). When my dad died, she left a letter for me with a neighbour and we reconnected. When her father’s health was declining, I’d look in on him and give her factual reports (as opposed to the reports her family would give her). Engaged in 2004, disengaged six months later. She moved in almost three years ago.
Online (exchanged a few messages on a dating site), arranged to meet at a museum, met, and started dating. Got married about a year later.
There should be no stigma for online dating (and I don’t think there really is much stigma any more). There are people out there that would be right for you- and online dating opens you up to countless people you never would meet otherwise.
So my tips for online dating- try out a few sites (or if money is an issue, then use Craigslist, which is totally free), be honest (really!), and don’t give up. Try to go on a date every two weeks (or every week or whatever you’re comfortable with) until you find someone you click with. To be safe, meet with dates at a public place (like a mall with a few restaurants) and trust your gut. It might take time, but with this method you will meet someone with whom you have a good chance at love.
Online dating. Both of us were separated and getting divorces. For each of us it was our first date using an online site.
I’m halfway between old fashioned and the new fashion - we met at work.
Funny story actually I was talking with him, my boss and one other guy about some work issues when the receptionist walked up and handed me a parcel. I’d recently moved from the Calgary office and a friend there had borrowed a computer game from me and was returning it via interoffice mail.
I knew what was in the envelope so I was just continuing the conversation and emptying the envelope as the storage spot for them was right behind us. When I pulled the box out the conversation immediately changed as he reached for the box and started asking questions about the game (SSI gold box game - Pool of Radiance).
I was fascinated by his green eyes (contacts) and he liked my red hair (dye)
We started dating within a week, moved in together in 3 weeks and he proposed for the first time after 3 months. I put him off for almost a year and we’ve now been married for 19 years.
It was back in university. Back then, I was more a flamboyant-artist type. One day, I was working on a sketch in the student pub while waiting between classes (I was doing an album cover for a friend’s band - which sucked - the band that is, not the cover 
) when the guy sitting next to me looked over at it, and struck up a conversation with me. I noticed he was with a very beautiful woman, but she said nothing to me.
The guy invited me out to listen to some contemporary jazz. I was cool with that.
When we got together, the beautiful woman was there as well, and we started talking … and we ended up spending most of the evening talking. The fellow wasn’t happy about that, I could tell. I could not determine whether she was her GF or not (later it turned out he had intentions in that direction, but she did not). Anyway, she asked for my number and I gave it, but for the longest time I heard nothing further from either of them. While I thought she was hot, I never really considered calling her again on such slight aquaintance (I’d know better, now!)
Meanwhile, in my classes, I was getting friendly with another woman; again, my acquantence was pretty slight - I’d just talked with her a couple of times - but I could tell she liked me. I was just working up the courage to ask her out when …
… one day, out of the blue, the first woman called me. She had remembered my number, and invited me to her dorm party. I was happy about that … I made her a dorm warming gift: a spider made of fimo, with a crystal body. She dug it, we hit it off even better than before, and to make a long story short we were soon an item. I’m still with her, 25 years later.
The other woman no longer seemed friendly and never talked to me again. Years later I found out why.
What happened was this: the first woman was, unknown to me, buddies with the second. The second asked the first her advice, about me - and specifically, whether or not she (that is the second woman) should ask me to her dorm party.
The first woman remembered me, and thought about it. Then she told the second woman “no, I know that guy, and he’s a real freak. You would not like him. Don’t ask him out”. So, the second woman took her advice and didn’t ask me out.
Then the first woman promptly called me up and asked me to go to her dorm party. When the second woman found out the first woman and I were an item, she was unhappy about it.
OP here. I have tried online dating, or should I say, I’ve registered online. POF, Match.com, and a Christian dating site. I got very few responses, and I don’t think it’s because I’m ugly. I’m thinking my profile could have been more extensive/interesting. But other than that, I don’t know why I got relatively no bites. But also, I know myself, when I look at 100 profiles on Match.com, only about 2-3 appeal to me, so I guess that goes both ways.
match.com 3 years ago. Getting married in December.
eHarmony. I think if you’re serious about finding someone, it’s worth paying the price and filling out the long, long application.
I was on it for six weeks and met four guys, the last one is now my husband. My husband was on it for two weeks and only had time to meet me.
First week of college, 28 years ago this week. My friend brought her to a dorm party and if there’s such a thing as love at first sight, that’s what happened. Married for 15 years this month.
Auto parts wholesaler warehouse. I was working the stockroom, she was working in the office. A co-worker told me “I think she has eyes for you” and encouraged me to ask her for a date. I did, she said yes, we immediately hit it off and have been a couple ever since. That was 44 years + 12 days ago. Got married 10 months in. We’re still each other’s best friend.
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I took sailing lessons - he was the instructor. Eloped after 4 weeks of dating. Our 30th anniversary is in December.
Freshman year of college in 1980, he was the RA on my floor 
High school, mid 1980s. Friends for about 10 years thru college and first jobs. Married 20 years next April.
Met online, an early dating site which was basically a collection local newspaper dating sections for a certain area.
According to our profiles, I matched him 100% and he matched me 100% and no one else matched either of us at all so I emailed him. Two weeks later we met at Friendly’s. That was in '99. We broke up for 2 years from 2007-2009 while I dealt with depression issues then we got back together and things are better than ever. We don’t agree on everything (he totally doesn’t understand my love for Horror movies and Papa Gino’s pizza) but we really are a perfect fit for each other and I love him dearly. Even when we were separated he was still my best friend and we talked every day.
That’s how I met my first husband. He didn’t even drink, just came in to hear the band.
I met my current husband (married 20 years) at my job. We were both smokers and carried out our earliest flirtations on the loading dock :D.
We worked together at a restaurant back in the early 70s. I was a cook and she was a waitress. We both were dating other people plus didn’t work the same shifts so we really didn’t know each other all that well.
I joined the military and about a year later came back on leave and stopped by the place. She was still working her way through college there. One thing lead to another and we’ve been together for 38 years with 36 of them married.
I was in 6th grade, he was in 7th and new to the school I’d been at since Kindergarten. He became friends with my brother and, by extension (because my brother was my absolute best friend growing up), with me. Then he broke into my locker one day to put a heart shaped box of chocolates in there for Valentine’s Day.
Then he moved away and I didn’t see or hear from him until something like 14 years later when he sent me a Facebook friend request. Even then we didn’t talk; I think he just wanted to invite me to play games for the bonuses, or whatever. I sent him an IM one day (just said, “Oh, hi.”) and that’s that.