Thirteen years ago marked a milestone in my life, I meet a man who swept me off of my feet and introduced me to the movie that would become my all time favorite, Love Jones. Since that time, I've gotten married, had two wonderful children, blossomed into a successful author, gotten a divorce and returned to the not so wonderful world of dating. Yeah, things have changed since Love Jones came out and redefined what Black Love looks and feels like.
My dating encounters have been interesting to say the least. I've been charmed by the best to find out later in the relationship that they really weren't Prince Charmings, but toads in disguise, lol. I've also discovered that you can't have a meaningful relationship if you aren't 100% ready. Several times I've jumped in with both feet only to ease my feet out one at a time because the water was just too deep. Over the last two years I've longed for that relationship that Nia Long and Lorenze Tate shared on the big screen, but I've discovered that there is a big difference between Hollywood and reality. No one wants to listen to Charlie Parker, or view photographs taken by Gordon Parks (most people don't even know who those two people are). Dating has changed so distract since 1997. People are looking for someone to up their social status, or as one guy informed me "I want to walk into that party with the baddest bitch on my arm." Dating has become a "what can you do for me?" vs "Hey, I'd like to have fun and hang out and see where this may lead." I've learned from interacting on Facebook, that some people will rely on social networking to get to know someone (quickly glancing at their profile to find out their favorite movies, foods and hobbies) and recreate themselves (yes, fudge their profiles) to become the person they think you want in your life. Gone are the days of personal, face to face interaction. And good old fashion courting? Puh-lease!
But despite how the Internet has transformed dating, I've decided that I'll take my chances and hold out for that Love Jones connection. Maybe I'll get lucky and bump into a guy in a record store who knows the difference between Miles Davis and 50 cent.
