Dating Virginia: Don't Fall In Love With Me

I wish I didn't have this problem. Not that it is such a horrible thing, but it is certainly obnoxious. For the third time, I went on a first date and had the guy fall head-over-heels for me. Yes, my friends, I got a marriage proposal (hypothetical, of course, there was no ring involved) Ring or not, the dude said he liked me so much that he wanted to marry me after one date. ONE DATE!

I should be flattered, right? Well, I don't find it flattering, I find it terrifying. Why in the world would anyone leave a first date thinking that it was going to immediately go into a full-blown relationship? I mean, I use these first dates to really test compatibility and figure out if we can stand to be around each other. Are guys these days using first dates as a bridge to immediate marriage?!

I had 3 dates this week. The first brought me stinky stinky lilies, ordered my food for me, and read my palm during our meal. He's pushing hard for a second date and called me "my love". I'm busy.

The second, a spur of the moment date, he was touchy-feely, a bit clingy, but the conversation was good. 2 days later, he loves me, wants to marry me. I actually decided to tell him that I wasn't interested instead of just ignoring him and we had a stupid conversation that lasted over 30 minutes. It felt like I was back in high school. He said that I broke his heart, that he really wanted to be with me, that I was a stupid whore who led him on. Lame.

Date #3 wasn't nearly as bad. We had a nice conversation over coffee, ended with a hug. Nothing really to report there.

I think I'm going to take a break from dating for a bit. It's really getting overwhelming. Seriously, if I put the amount of effort I use to meet guys into trying to find a job, I'd probably be employed right now. So, no new dates until after Thanksgiving. I'll allow myself to go out with people I already know or have already met, but no new prospects. We'll see how it goes.

I think the biggest issue is that I'm not communicating enough with these guys before deciding to meet them. So, maybe I'll start talking to guys now, and then after Thanksgiving, decide to meet them. Your thoughts?