When did you start dating?

In My Humble Opinion
41

[QUOTE=Silver Tyger Girl]

I guess I’m afraid of making a fool of myself and being embarrassed.
[/QUOTE]

Sure. Because I can tell you right now that if I kissed a girl and got the sense that she was nervous, shy, or a little unsure of what to do, I think my first go-to move would be to leap up, point my finger dramatically, and exclaim, “A HA! This is your first kiss, isn’t it? ISN’T IT? Listen up, everyone in earshot!! Guess what??”

Or maybe that would be Evil Bizarro Bricker.

I think the reality is that every time two people kiss for the first time, there’s a little exploration and experimentation going on on both sides. Of course, with experience comes confidence… but it’s not like there’s a standard manual of techniques that everyone else will recognize (“Ahhh… she’s using the Sicilian Lip Twist! Clever, but I shall counter with the Abelard Gambit!”)

When the guy’s into you, interested enough to smooch in the first place, believe me: there’s not much you can do, kissing-wise, that will shut that down. Catch cues, follow his reactions, and learn accordingly. It’ll be just fine, and, really, the education part will be much more fun than learning oxidation/reduction rules or the finer points of the Hawley-Smoot tariff.

And to answer the question posed in the OP: seventh grade.My mom drove us to see Star Wars, and then sat in the ultra-farthest-away seat from us. We held hands in the theater. It was very cool, given that my Mom had to drive me, and all.

42

In college I dated a girl who was, in my humble opinion, a terrible kisser. It didn’t really matter much – kissing is so great, gettin’ hot-n-bothered is so great, that even if someone is a (subjectively) “bad” kisser it’s still all good.

The funny part was, after about a month of dating, one evening we were rolling around on her bed and she said to me, “Your kissing has really gotten a lot better recently.” Like I was the bad kisser. Sheesh. :wink:

43

Kissing is a lot like pizza (and sex), even when it is bad it is pretty good.

The worst thing that can happen is when you go in for the [del]landing[/del] kiss, your aim is off and you end up locking lips with their nose or an eyelid. It has happened to even the most mediocre of us.

44

[QUOTE=Silver Tyger Girl]
I just feel stupid not knowing how to kiss. Groping, and beyond I’m sure I can figure out. I know, I’m my harshest critic, chill out, etc.
[/QUOTE]
You are a dork, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. :slight_smile: I’m your age, never been on an actual date, never really even had anything other than a few dopey online relationships. (Sure, I go out to dinner often with my roommate, but there’s no romantic interest there.) Part of it is that I overthink things like you’re doing and get all self-conscious about stuff I really shouldn’t.

I can’t stand the idea of dating, though. I suppose it works for some people, but my way of thinking is: I want someone who likes most of the same stuff I like. Therefore, I will do the things I like, make friends with others in the same community, and if something should develop beyond that, awesome. If a romantic partnership should develop, I’d much rather it happen with someone I already know I have a rapport with than someone whose profile I liked.

45

[QUOTE=Bricker]
Sure. Because I can tell you right now that if I kissed a girl and got the sense that she was nervous, shy, or a little unsure of what to do, I think my first go-to move would be to leap up, point my finger dramatically, and exclaim, “A HA! This is your first kiss, isn’t it? ISN’T IT? Listen up, everyone in earshot!! Guess what??”

[/QUOTE]

Well that’s what everyone would expect of you, isn’t it? =^.^=

And me? Overthink things? Never. :rolleyes:

So now, that I’ve exposed my foolishness to the world*, can we transform this into a ‘what was your first kiss like’ or ‘embarrassing kisses’ or something thread?

  • y’all are special, y’know. I can’t ask about this stuff to my family or friends. Of course, if you’re all calling me stupid before reassuring me, I can’t hear it.
46

[QUOTE=Madd Maxx]
Kissing is a lot like pizza (and sex), even when it is bad it is pretty good.

[/QUOTE]

Dude, I dunno about that. When I’m hungry, I’ll take a crappy pizza over not eating at all, but if it’s a choice between no kiss and a kiss where the dude tries to swallow my tongue, I’ll take the former, thanks. :slight_smile:

47

[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee]
9snip) but if it’s a choice between no kiss and a kiss where the dude tries to swallow my tongue, I’ll take the former, thanks. :slight_smile:
[/QUOTE]

If he is trying to swallow your tongue, he isn’t kissing you, he’s cannibalizing you.

OK maybe kissing really isn’t all that much like pizza. Baseball on the other hand…

48

[QUOTE=Madd Maxx]
OK maybe kissing really isn’t all that much like pizza. Baseball on the other hand…
[/QUOTE]
Dude, baseball is nothing like pizza.

49

[QUOTE=Madd Maxx]
OK maybe kissing really isn’t all that much like pizza. Baseball on the other hand…
[/QUOTE]
You need a diamond for both?

50

I started around 21 or 22. I’ve never really dated either, just had a few GFs around 6-12 months each. Late bloomers bear the best flowers (at least that’s what I tell myself!)

51

I just turned 30 and I haven’t yet been on a date. I’m shy and a bit clueless when it comes to other people’s interest in me. I get along well with girls and hang out with them as often as I hang out with guys, but I haven’t figured out how to get to the point of a date yet, or a relationship.

I have gone out with girls individually in what may have been a date in their mind, but I never realized that was what it was, this despite the fact that on at least a few occasions I would have liked to have gone on a date with them.

A couple years ago I did spend the night with someone and we kissed and cuddled, but that was a situation where we were friends who had some attraction who then discovered that actually doing something about it was too weird.

Not too long ago I had a one night stand with a young woman, family friend who I only see every 7 years or so and then usually only for a few days. Unlike normally I picked up on her interest in me almost right away, though it was a sort of instinctive thing I didn’t quite believe. You might say we went on a few dates, but as I was in a foreign country and staying with her family, it was as much her showing me around as anything else. In the final analysis, I find that I really enjoyed what we did together and I like her very much as a person, but it is also really clear we were not meant to be together. (Quite apart from the fact that we live on different continents).

So age 30, no dates, if you are a freak for this, then I’m an even bigger one. It’s definitely somewhat odd, I’d say, but not so odd.

52
  1. An older girl who I was friends with and who had dated several of my friends invited me to some semi-formal thing (I think it was some friends birthday or some shit. I don’t remember). I figured it she just wanted to go as friends but later that evening I suspected she wanted me to make a move on her. Which I didn’t of course because I was fairly clueless. But we did go out informally for a few months afterwards (mostly we would just go to the mall and make out at my parents).

I think the differences in age and experience level ultimately caused it to end badly.

The next girl I dated went much better. We went out for a few months, banged a couple times and then she broke up with me. That’s when I learned that once you know a girl likes you and you completely blow her off, she will not stop trying to get you back, even if she dumped you first.

Oddly enough, people didn’t “date” in college in the sense that they went to the movies or dinner. Mostly people just hooked up at frat parties.
And what’s the deal with all the 40 Year Old Virgins? I don’t want to sound judgemental, but how does one end up not getting any at all over the course of 20+ years, including high school and college where you are surrounded by girls your age?

I’m just curious, because I thought my college was pretty tough in the girl department. A mostly male engineering school populated by mostly rich frat-guy meathead jocks and stuck up sorority princessess and fat chicks isn’t exactly a target rich environment.

53

[Some] People would never fall in love if they had not heard love talked about.
~La Rochefoucauld