Joseph Jarrett

So, do you remember how I mentioned Hinge in my last post? Well, I’d like to give them a huge shout-out for helping me get the biggest confidence boost that I have had in years! Believe it or not, I, the eternal pessimist of a writer, went on a date! An actual, real-life date with a real man. And I loved every second of it. I know, I know, I am still in shock myself, and it’s been almost a week.

            Life has a funny way of changing things up on you when you least expect it. And trust me when I say that I definitely did not expect this. It’s been over three years since the last time I went on a date, so I am incredibly out of practice. What if I made a shitty joke that wasn’t funny at all? Or what if I did something gross without warning? I was absolutely terrified the entire time leading up to it. But I survived, and in a sense, I thrived.

            For the first time in forever, I am here to change my stance. I have been kind of a Debby Downer lately, and I think I owe you all an apology for that. I got so caught up in what I thought was missing from my life that I forgot how much can happen, and just how beautiful it can be. We are never fully in control, whether we like to believe it or not. Destiny is a real thing, and you’ll always go through what is intended for you. The universe doesn’t care in the slightest if you like it or not.

            After the date ended, I found myself listening to songs like “warm” by Ariana Grande, “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” by Olivia Dean, and “Begin Again” by Taylor Swift. It’s funny how just a few hours with good company can totally shift your energy in the best way possible. I actually missed the version of myself that I was that night. I loved driving home under the stars, windows down, music up loud, and singing until it felt like my lungs were collapsing. I haven’t done that in a while, and it felt damn good.

            What made it feel a little crazier to me, though, was that I had texted one of my girlfriends not that long ago that I wish I could find someone like Nick Robinson’s rom-com characters. If you know, you know. If you don’t, watch Voicemails for Isabelle and Love, Simon at your earliest convenience. Call it manifesting because that’s sure what it felt like.

            There are so many of us out there who crave that sensation. The one that comes from the magical and joyful moments that movie men put on for us. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, there are millions of TikTok edits featuring every amazing leading man over the last forty years. Don’t be shocked when I tell you that my For You Page is mostly built up by edits of Nick Robinson’s Wes in the aforementioned Voicemails for Isabelle and Stephen Kalyn’s Dean DiLaurentis in Off Campus. All of us single girls and gays just want a man who is clearly invested in us. That’s so hard to come across, which is crazy considering how large the dating pool is at any given time. But then again, there’s one person meant for our heart, and there are seven billion in the world. I guess it is easier said than done after all.

            And just like that, I wasn’t so lost in love. Instead, I found myself becoming more confident, happy, and rejuvenated. And I like to believe that we all deserve to feel that way. So, has anything super exciting happened for you that’s got you smiling from ear to ear? Tell me more, and get ready to feel the hype coming your way. Until next time, lovers!