Two years ago, my 15-year-old Geo Prizm (about which I liked everything) started having a lot of problems so I decided to look for a different car. I sat in a few makes and models, becoming discouraged but because the brakes on my Geo were leaking and the timing belt was due to be replaced, I needed to get something reliable pretty quickly. My husband has a Saturn and he thought I might like a smaller Saturn. It looked good, and the salesman spent a half hour going over the fine features of the car. And the price was great for a brand new one!

But when I finally sat in the car and took it for a test drive, it was definitely not the one for me: just too small and lacking the visibility that I need. And that took the whole evening. Had I sat in the driver’s seat right away, I would have realized immediately that it was not a good fit for me, and maybe I would have had time to go to another dealership that same night.

Two years later, I am finally satisfied with the used Toyota that I ended up with, but if I’d had time to try out a few more cars, maybe I would had settled on a different one. And I keep my cars for a VERY long time!

So what in the h— does buying a car have to do with dating? There seems to be a similar occurrence with potential partners. Some are spending hours talking on the phone (or e-mailing) and maybe even viewing photos before they meet and then are disappointed to find that the live version is not suitable.

Wasting a couple of hours here and there is not a big deal, especially if you can find a new friend. But some people are spending hours talking on the phone before ever meeting in person and then getting so burned out that they just throw in the towel regarding meeting anyone else. Although it is essential to determine if the potential is a die-hard cat lover when you are allergic, for example, why not talk on the phone for only twenty minutes or so, and then meet briefly in person for coffee. This approach might prevent you from giving up the ship just before you’re about to meet Mr. or Ms. Right!

For more information on events and matchmaking services, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 314-721-3638.