'Sex in the Valley'

Fiftieth wedding anniversary of a couple in Oklahoma. Both were born on the fourth of July and got married on the fourth July. Adorable.

My friend Clark treats dating like a science. A literal science. I've known Clark for a long time and he had a lot of catching up to do once he started thinking about girls about two years ago. He never dated in high school and was so focused on meditation for several years that it distracted him from thinking about relationships or women. Anyway, when Clark did start to date it was interesting to hear how he went about it. He forced himself to ask a girl out every week. He was rejected more than accepted, but he is now the 'master of smooth.' And if you know Clark, he is definitely not smooth. Gangly, awkward, and brainy is more like it. All of what makes him him, of course, and all reasons why I love him so much, but I guess I just never expected old Clark to break out of his shell and be decently good with women. He honestly would keep tabs on how many women he could get to go to dinner or a movie with him and how many flat out ran for the hills. When he got really good at keeping tabs, he started to come up with specific numbers for how many calls was appropriate before you give up, how many calls before it was her turn to call back, etc. All stuff we probably shouldn't do for human integrity's sake, but because my mathematical genius friend (he is currently getting his PhD in math, all paid for by the UM) thinks scientifically and statistically it is perfect for him. I think dating should be more natural and his approach will never be my approach, but if someone is willing to record data on dating habits and it doesn't bother them any, I say go for it.

I guess I have been thinking about this lately because since I've entered a more active dating world, it is all sort of mathematical. I guess because I fell in love at such a young age I imagined all my relationships would be as heavy as my first love. Nope. It's kind of a jumble. And it's very harmless on the mind. Actually, there isn't a whole lot of thinking involved. And that is why I guess we all might think of dating more mathematically. Emotions aren't involved. I mean, a flame might spark and that is always wonderful, but even then, it's still only a spark and a reason to see that person more which turns it into more of a statistic in your dating life. I've tried to put emotions aside for once and just roll with meeting new and different types of people. Hipsters, outdoorsmen, musicians, etc. I probably sound promiscuous, but just to keep me from thinking about it, these are just dates. Nothing more. Keep in mind, I've honestly gone 3 years without seeing anyone so this dating in my 20s is fairly new to me. I'm only 24.

I'll keep you updated with more specific stories on my dating life. I already have a couple. The idea of turning this into a sort of "Carrie Bradshaw" blog for a while intrigues me. My favorite thing to talk about with friends is relationships and people. It's perfect. It's on my mind. Why not, eh? Wow. I'm really going to put myself out there. I guess I am sort of taking a 'Clark approach' to the whole matter. I'm just journaling and he is jotting numbers. Maybe we have something going here. A book in the making, perhaps?