Online Romance
I remember back when I was getting married in 2001 I had met a girl online who lived in New Jersey. She had told me that she had met her husband-to-be online, and that they were now getting married. Back then, online romance was something of a mystery. Many people were scared about the prospect of finding a mate or even a real friend online. Today these relationships are more and more common, and many are finding what they consider to be the love of their life on the Internet.
I am still weary of some of the people at me online. I have been on the Internet long enough now to know that most of the people you talk to are not representing themselves as they really are. I guess everyone does this to a certain degree, but there are some people out there who want an online romance so badly that they completely misrepresent what they look like, who they are, and even where they live. For every good story you hear about online romance, there are five bad ones to go along with it.
One of my closest friends was recently engaged in an online romance. She was not looking for this sort of thing, as she met this person on a divorce support web site. She had absolutely no intentions of dating anyone at that point her life, but the online romance bloomed before she knew what was happening. I met the guy myself a few months ago, and I found him to be a delightful person. I have no idea if they are still dating at this point, as I have not talked to her in a few months.
I do know that she was just as surprised as I was that she found an online romance. We were both pleasantly surprised to find that he was exactly what he claimed to be, and when she met him, they were no bad surprises. Though I am very happy for her, I know that she is an exception. There are many people who are meeting online that developed a great online romance, but there are many more who are left bitter and disappointed. Remember to use common sense when dating and talking to people online. If something sounds too good to be true, you can bet your bottom dollar that it is. Trust your gut feelings.
