The Interview

I know what you're thinking. You see the title of this post and think, "uh-oh". Not because you're afraid of what I might say, but because we've all been there.

We've all been the interviewee...that poor sucker on the receiving end of an examination that would put the best of any John Grisham courtroom clown to shame.

In the Mormon Dating World this can be an especially bizarre experience. I will provide just one of what could be many examples.

This is a true and exact excerpt from a date I had in late Spring of 08'.

We begin....30 seconds after being seated at a local SLC Restaurant:

#1. Her: "So..what's your story?"

Me: "What do you want to know? I've got a lot of history just like anyone."

Her: "Well I mean in the church...have you always been active? Do you currently hold a recommend? What have you done your in past?"

Me (Already Sweating Profusely): "Those are some pretty loaded questions for a 1st date, how bout we just have fun instead of hook me up to a worthiness metronome?"

Her: "Well if you don't have anything to hide,,,I don't see the point in wasting time."

Me (looking for the closet sharp object to poke my eyes out with): "Well...what exactly do you want to know?"

Her: "When's the last time you kissed a girl?"

Me (slightly exasperated): "Do you want dates, times, length and whether tongue was involved?"

Her: No response...................as silence takes over, and I get her evil stare that could power up a thousand suns permeating the room and destroys what started out as a pleasant evening.

Now that's just a partial and honest example and truth be told a pretty tame one of several experiences I've had in the Mormon dating world when it comes to being grilled by the opposite sex.

I've met gals who don't think there's anything wrong with knowing a man's play by play discretions that he's gone over with previous Bishops. In the past 2 years I've met 6 different gals who by the end of the date probably thought I leaned somewhere left of Beelezebub because I wouldn't pull out my booty scorecard for them to analyze and criticize.

I try resisting, but after under the interrogation lights and water boarding techniques, one can only take so much examination before they usually crack...so...I laid it out on the line for her and told her what she wanted to know.....later on she wondered why I never asked her out again.

Sometimes I get a gal who wishes she wouldn't have asked me. Sometimes I get a..."that's cool...no biggie." But this particular gal in my story raked me over the coals after I gave in to her.....she apparently was looking for "The 40 Year Old Virgin", but I came up empty in my search for Steve Carell's business card to pass on.

Ironically, I found out a short time later this girl had made out and hooked up with more men than social security had retired.

I guess my point is rather simple. Getting to know a person and the baggage they carry and learning about their past will typically come out anyway......but....here's an amazing concept taught since the dawn of time......I.E....also known as "THE ATONEMENT"....If there's a connection and you have chemistry, in the long run, it won't matter anyway, so long as you're willing to grin n bear it....unless of course you're looking for guy who is worthy of wearing a Urim and Thummim.

Learn to move on. Otherwise you may miss out on someone pretty great that's had some amazing experiences that has a level of compassion is to be admired and in many cases an understanding that exceeds our own.

And in case you're wondering....no...my NCMO Punch Card isn't really THAT bad. :)

-- dl.