Lonely? Give speed dating a whirl next week
Tuesday, October 10, 2006 7:00 AM PDT
By Amy M. E. Fischer
Printable version
E-mail this articleIf you've ever resisted the urge to slam the door on your blind date --- only to endure an awkward dinner conversation peppered with forced laughter, while plotting an exit strategy the whole time --- you know the following is true:
Most people know within 30 seconds of meeting someone new whether they're attracted to that person, according to a variety of scientific studies.
Which is why the concept of speed dating has become so hot in today's time-obsessed culture.
The idea is to gather an equal number of men and women and pair them off for a quick chat. Every five minutes, participants switch partners until everyone has had a brief "date" with everyone else.
Depicted in several Hollywood movies and TV shows, speed dating has spread from its California birthplace to countries around the world since its late-1990s debut.
Next week, it's coming to Longview.
Common Ground owner Mike Giberson, 37, decided to host a speed-dating party at his downtown Longview eatery after talking to an employee who met her boyfriend of three years that way, he said. The first party, at 6 p.m. Oct. 19, is for single men and women ages 30 to 45.
He's starting with that age group, he said, because older singles are often sick of the bar scene.
"It's fun once in awhile, but realistically, it's not where you go to find a date," Giberson said of bars. "You know when you're coming to this event that people are looking for the same thing you are."
He's charging $25 a ticket for the event, which includes appetizers and a drink. He'd like to get 20 women and 20 men to sign up.
"I'm sitting here thinking to myself, 'What in the hell have I gotten myself into?' " said Giberson, who posted fliers about the party in the restaurant several weeks ago. "But it's been very cool to see how many people are interested."
So far, he's got about 18 "beautiful" women and nine men registered, and the empty slots should fill up after radio advertising begins this week, he said.
Aiming for a classy feel, Giberson is encouraging participants to look nice, but his prompting may not be needed; most of the people who've signed up were "very well-dressed," he said.
"It's not like I've just drug a bunch of hoodlums in off the street," said Giberson, who is single himself but doesn't plan to participate because he's the host.
The party begins at 6 p.m. sharp. Women will be seated at tables, and the men will join them, rotating partners every five minutes. Participants should take notes. Afterward, they'll have an hour to mingle.
Unlike some speed dating hosts, Giberson won't gather up everyone's notes and play matchmaker, he said.
"Obviously, if someone caught your eye, they're going to gravitate to that person," he said. "Basically, we're going to try to keep it as simple as we can."
If the first event is a hit, Giberson would like to hold speed-dating sessions every Thursday evening for a variety of age groups, he said.
For reservations, call Common Ground at 425-5400.
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