Playing matchmaker has been a spare-time activity I embraced with much zeal to aid friends in search of love. Once I was a wing man to a tropa who courted his pretty classmate back in college.
They became lovers after a year of constant dating.
The same calling led me to help a college tropa deliver a box of Ferrero Rocher when he wooed a chick he met during a career seminar four years ago.
They too became lovers after going out for several months.
Both these couples tied the knot last year. I was the best man in one of the weddings while the college tropa asked me to become a groomsman in his nuptial.
Aware of my successes, I would have pursued my pastime to cover up for my blessed singleness. But the embarrassing setbacks in the gay world lead me to believe that my luck had just ran out. Meanwhile, my attempt to set up Miyaw-Miyaw (the ex-gymbuddy/de-facto boytoy) with a chick didn't even make past the texting stage. After the failed attempt, I stopped matchmaking people out of fear that it does more harm than good to love seekers.
So imagine my reluctance when I said yes to a chick friend from college. She would leave private messages on Facebook reminding me of an old promise of introducing him to a guy. (Hello!! I don't deal with straight guys gurl!)
Another friend who was shoving his Ford Fiesta down my throat seems in need of a real girl to distract him too. Nearing his 30s, his mom had asked us to find him a date when the college tropa got married last year. However, with our friend showing softness only a feminine guy would reveal, girls leave him for someone else. Fiesta boy would then move on by posting pictures of him with female celebrities.
Introducing them to one another might put a stop to my annoyance, and perhaps, even an end to a lifelong searching. But before a blind date could take place, preparations must be undertaken to make sure both girl and boy get each others attention.
1. Choose a deserving candidate. In my case I will be playing matchmaker to straight friends. Both have no experience being in a romantic relationship.
2. The candidates are my friends from the university. No prior contact exists between the two. However, since common friends abound, both claims each other's acquaintances.
3. To discourage the two from checking each other on Facebook and other social media applications, the candidates will be given names other than their own. This would also raise the thrill factor of the blind date since the discovery of common friends and histories might - prematurely - spoil the fun.
4. Scrapbook questions will be thrown to both candidates. During the first phase of the blind date, all means of contact must pass through the moderator.
Another idea would be to let each candidate throw questions to their blind date. Inquiries that require delayed revelation include the following:
- Batch
- Major
- Section
- Common friends in the university.
5. Knowledge of the planned blind date must never get out among the three of us. Common friends might not approve of such idea.
6. After a week of getting to know each other, both candidates would be asked if they wish to trade numbers or email addresses. From there, the mediator would have to pull back and observe everything from a distance.
7. Another idea would be to arrange a friendly meet-up for the candidates. Depending on the agreement, mediator presence might be required.
So there. I do not know if the plan would work, or my own idea of a blind date will do wonders for these first - time lovers. Should I succeed in making them agree to a meeting, I would follow the step by step procedure and arrange a blind date for my single non-straight friends.
The couples I helped before knew each other before I stepped in. Attraction was there and so was the chemistry. What was lacking was support. A little push, a sprinkle of encouragement, a cheerleader behind the scene and off they go courting and declaring their love for each other. Pairing two people who don't know the other entails a lot of risks.
There's always the aesthetic expectation to contend with.
To be honest, the blind date has selfish reasons. One is to make Fiesta Boy realize that he should be better off revealing his true colors. Meanwhile, I could introduce my college chick to another guy. But her repeated inquiry and my lack of connections with straight guys leave me no choice but to match her with someone readily available.
I've been showered with love and affection in many ways my cynic self would never believe. Stepping up to make this little venture work gives back a little of what I have received.. If it means ridding the world of two less lonely people, then by all means, the blind date should be supported. No matter how silly and (possibly hopeless) the idea is. There's no harm in trying.