Read the whole Blind Gayting series here. Scroll down to 8 February and work your way up.
I have amazing friends. These amazing friends give me advice, because that's what friends do. Here's a snippet of a conversation I had with M, discussing me reevaluating my life post-move (fair warning friendo's, I write down many of the things that you say because my brain is dysfunctional. If I don't go through the physical act of writing something out, it's probably not going to stick in my brain. Plus I like to be able to throw your words back at you):
M: And what do your new eyes see in me?
K: I see that you are a very dear friend with sometimes ridiculous advice.
M: Ridiculous advice?! Ha!
K: You told me to be a slore.
M: And you should be. But not with scary people.
K: Lol. Everyone's scary. I'm still considering it.
M: Be a picky slore!
There are several reasons that I don't think being a slore would work out for me. First, I'm not big on touching. I have a bubble. Once I've gotten to know someone and trust is established, the bubble disappears. But as a good child of the 80s, I was raised to believe in "Stranger Danger." I don't like people who crowd in to your space while talking to you, and I don't like people who feel that it is necessary to establish and maintain physical contact while talking to you. Second, I have a system to evaluate what percentage of their brain people use. If you're meeting someone online, spelling and grammar should probably not be overlooked. You're trying to convince someone that they should throw caution to the wind and do the no-pants-dance with you. Is it really not worth the seconds it takes to run your paragraph through a word editor of some sort? Use Google Chrome. Something that shows you an angry, squiggly red line when you fuck up.
And if that is too much for you, try this handy little chart. I'd really prefer someone with a sense of humor, but I suppose it's not a deal breaker.
That's it. Those are my requirements. And #1 doesn't even apply until I actually meet them face-to-face. I don't have height requirements. I don't have a preference regarding eye color, hair color, race, religion or politics. In fact, I don't even want to hear about their religion or politics are for at least the first month.
You would be shocked by how many people cannot pass #2. Or maybe you wouldn't. Maybe you know just how many stupid people there are on this planet, despite the widespread availability of dictionaries and apps and the big fat interweb full of spell-checking ability. I even crate the Grammar Nazi and refrain from letting the occasional mixing up of they're/there/their poke it like a stick to a caged bear. But when people cannot be bothered to take the extra half-second to type "you" instead of "u" and "are" instead of "r" I get all twitchy and start frothing at the mouth and I have to try very hard to hit "delete" instead of going off on a long-winded rant about how the public school system has obviously failed them. If you happen to be a person who texts using those characters in place of words, I give a first warning. If it happens a second time, I respond that I will not acknowledge the message unless they fix it with proper English. A third time and we won't be conversing via text anymore. I refuse to allow the advance of technology, something that is a wonderful tool, to result in the bastardization of the English language.
Recap: Respect the bubble. Know how to type. Don't push your religion/political agenda. Let the sloring begin.
9 comments:
I'm a reformed slore after reading this. I realize that lack of choosiness has led to no-pants-dancing with lots of people who don't even use full words. Instead they use combinations of letters and words. They just are outlandishly good-looking.
I tend to type so fast that my grammar isn't always the best, so if it sucks...forgive me.
I love that you use the term "slore." I have a dashed red line under it, but this post is still going up. Fuck it.
Miss Pepper, I'm pretty sure you should stay a slore. It makes for better stories. All of these tales are being told with the clarity of hindsight. I'm not saying I made the best decisions when it was all going on.
When I'm messaging quickly and excitedly with someone awesome, the Grammar Nazi doesn't always have time to climb out of the crate. Which means I haven't noticed you making any mistakes (Yay you). And you have the ability to understand which words are and are not acceptable to ignore the angry red underline. My first name, no matter how many times I add it to every program's dictionary, always has a red squiggly line. Which makes me paranoid I'm spelling it wrong.
The problem with being attracted to brains first and looks second means that some of my conquests were NOT outlandishly good-looking. You might be winning, were we to rack-and-stack the laundry lists.
Hmmm... The no pants dance... I unfortunately end up hanging out at my own parties walking around without my pants on... It keeps the fights and drama down to a minimum... With no one barking about how theirs is bigger than whomevers there is no drahma... Now dancing with no pants on in public at a party requires A greater level of confidence and coordination... Wait that's what you were talking about write? How embarrassing.
See what I did their? With all the miss takes and such? I bet you missed the spelling part s huh?
Ohhhh Zach. Zack? Zach.
I honestly expected nothing less from you. Thank you for being you. You're kind of a master at deliberately misspelling things. I doff my imaginary cap to you, Sir.
Depending on what your choice of undergarments is, your parties might be very uncomfortable to attend. There actually was a no-pants club party night a few years back in either Sac or SF. It was an amusing concept, but I chose not to attend.
No-pants club party? I'm adding that to my list of ideas for my next shin-dig. Though, I think it may be a little inappropriate for Lily's 1/2 birthday party. Ugh.
I actually guffawed when you admitted paranoia at spelling your name wrong. My last name sets off the spelling police...and I've completely had the same insecurity.
The no-pants party might work for the children, as some of them are such diaper show-offs. But the adults? Maybe not as appropriate.
Do you seriously have a list of possible party themes? If so, I might know something about something like that. If not, never mind. Move along. Nothing to see here.
I love the word "Guffaw." You are the hero of the day for using it. There needs to be more guffawing in the world.
I could not agree with this post more. I have some catching up to do here Sweetpea, so forgive me if it appears in your stats that I am stalking you in a completely creepy way.
I don't know why I am so wrapped up in grammar and spelling or why text speak makes me want to throw my phone, but it does, and I am. By the time I'm in an actual position to date, *shudders* I really hope there is a whole new dating site out there where you have to complete a grammar and simple spelling test to be allowed to sign up. It really would save me a lot of time and effort I think.
HI ZACH!!!
Cher! You're back! I've missed you!
I generally have 15+ internet tabs open at any given time, and then I go ADD and forget about them (or worse, fall asleep with them open) so I can only imagine how long people's stat counters say I was on their page. No Creeper alarms have been sounded, no worries.
I feel like it makes me a huge jackass, but I can't get over my need for people to be literate. I'm just not attracted to stupid.
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