Why aren’t daters better networkers?

I mean, for chrissakes, we’re all fundamentally looking for 1) more ways to meet interesting and potentially interested people and 2) more interesting and potentially interested people to meet. Well who better to compare notes with than someone else who is out and about on the scene?

Folks on dating sites and their ilk are always so goal-focused. All “are YOU my girlfriend???” And then if not, cutting all contact and ties and diving after the next possibility. Pu-leeze.

Don’t get me started about the artificial sense of competition. If two people are eventually going to hit it off in a really big, awesome, lifelong way, having someone “hotter” or “smarter” or whateverer around is not such a substantial impediment. Let’s team up here, people.

What we should do is, see every potential “date” as also a potential “colleague” in the whole meeting people effort. It takes the pressure off any 2 people having some kind of first date or meeting up. We should just all network with each other to “refer business” to each other, both in terms of cool people and in terms of cool things single people are doing.

All four storm doors are still the kind made from galvanized aluminum. The stuff that leaves a powder grit dryness on your hands.

To make myself get around to it, I first brought up two of the screens and stashed them behind a door. They’re light. It would take a hell of an excuse to somehow claim that bit’s not doable.

That momentum gained, I puzzle out which one goes where, and I remove the heavy glass panels one at a time. Once each screen’s in, I feel a powerful, capable, responsible lightness. It makes working the glass sheets down the winding stair to their cubby in the basement natural. Easy. Important.

Once back down there, bringing up the next screen’s a no-brainer. Just like that, I’m pushing ahead with the season change. Head-up, capable, taking care.

One to go. The last screen door’s in the basement, adjacent to the storage slot. Though it’s late and dark, there’s not much point in giving up now, so I don’t.

When I tighten the last mounting bracket and wipe nonexistent galvanic debris on my pants. I feel: I did it. Done. By myself.

I feel galvanized.