by Andrea Butler

Created on: August 05, 2008   Last Updated: March 26, 2011

I had a plan. I was going to meet my future husband in college, be married by the time I was 25 and have at least one child by 30. I'd have a lot to show off at the 10 year reunion. Yet, when I turned 24 and still had no prospects, I wasn't worried. Yes, I admit, when it comes to men, I'm selective. (After all, there may be a lot of "fish in the sea," but they don't all taste good.) I believe that every woman should be selective- to a certain extent. I mean seriously, no self-respecting woman honestly seeks out a no-job-having, unmotivated, good-for-nothing man, right? Exactly.

So, instead of continuing to sit around and wait for my man (you know, the one who should've been here two to three years ago, according to my timetable) to show up, I decided to take control by completely stepping outside of my box and trying speed-dating. Why is this such a big leap? Well, considering the fact that I'm quite the introvert, still a bit wary of the online dating scene, and just plain stubborn about how I should meet a man (in a "normal" place like the grocery store, the mall, the workplace, a restaurant, shoot, at the dog park!), I'd say this is quite the hurdle.

So, with my impending 30th birthday fast approaching (well, in three years but that's soon enough) and no prospects, I decided to try a few "innovative" avenues for love:

1. Eharmony.com. We've all seen the commercials. The giddy couples professing their love for each other and Dr. Neil Clark Warren. It just wasn't for me. I tried. I really did. But I pretty much closed out every "match" immediately upon receiving one. While attraction between two people can grow based on personalities offline, with Eharmony, people don't have that chance soon enough. Therefore, physical attraction is a major factor. And can I just say, not everyone is photogenic.

2. Blackplanet.com. My cousin made me do it. Well, she suggested it. I figured I had nothing to lose; after all, she met like five guys there. Still, the downside is pretty much the same as Eharmony and online dating in general. You see what you see.

3. Speed Dating (or pre-dating as Cupid.com puts it). Here's the kicker. This was actually supposed to be a new, exciting "Girls Night Out," but before my girls could register, it filled upforcing me, as I stated earlier, to enter this new realm alone. I considered cancelling my registration seriously, considered it. No way was I going by myself (I'm an introvert, remember?). Then, I realized it was too late to get my $35 back so I'd have to suck it up and go.

Considering my experiences with the first two methods, let's just say my hopes weren't that high. But, I was hoping to meet at least one guy.

And then, the night before my fateful experience, I got an e-mail. The event had been postponed, with no reschedule date. Wow. Now I'm really starting to think the "universe" is trying everything possible to keep me single. What's up with that?

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