Coffee Or Dinner On A Blind Date?

“First impressions matter. Experts say we size up new people in somewhere between 30 seconds and two minutes.” Elliott AbramsDon’t do dinner on a blind date even if he’s supposed to look like George Clooney! This is one of the biggest lessons I learned when I became single again. Why break bread with someone who you know after a few minutes you won’t see again? Here is a recent conversation with a friend regarding a her blind date: Me: How was your date with George Clooney? Ellie: It was a disaster! It lasted two hours and he only slightly resembled him. Me: What? How could that be? Ellie: We went to dinner in Greek Town. I listened for hours about his retirement and golf game. It was like watching paint peel except worse. Me: Why didn’t you leave? Ellie: I felt bad ‘cause he seemed to be enjoying the company and I was hungry. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Me: So he paid for the meal? Ellie: Yes and then he wanted to come up to my apartment after sharing an Uber. I told him to Uber on home. Me: Did you like anything about him? Ellie: No, at one point he told me that he lived three hours away but if he found the right person he would move closer to the city. He then winked at me and tapped my leg. He knocked it so hard, I think I have a bruise. This is example is why a meet and greet at Starbucks is the best first date. If George Clooney is more like George McFly (Back To The Future), you can get out of Dodge much easier after a Grande Latte than a full gyros dinner. It’s also a lot easier for the guy to digest if he’s the one forking over the check. If your time is precious – and whose isn’t, it’s much better eating a burger at home and binge watching “Orange Is The New Black.” It’s also more compassionate to leave after a cup of coffee, since he won’t be as disappointed when you turn him down for future dates. If money is an issue for him, he won’t be resentful or have expectations since you’ve only set him back a few bucks for the latte. What if he turns out to be Clooney’s clone? There’s always a second date with some shish kabob.