It Was a Set-Up
Posted in The Life of the Historian and tagged with Boys, Dating, Friends on May 19, 2009I’m surprised when I wrote my story last week about blind dating (or the spoiling thereof) that no one asked me if it was based on a true experience. No, it really wasn’t, but given my solo status, I thought it might cross some readers’ minds. I have, however, met plenty of guys like Jason…no thanks.
One time, though, a friend tried to set me up with a teacher at her son’s school. It was New Year’s Day 2006, and she was hosting a traditional Southern New Year’s meal, something I had never experienced before.
My friend told me before hand that she wanted to meet him, that he was really nice and taught at a conservative Christian school. I was uncomfortable, but I agreed to show up and at least meet the guy because she told me she did not tell the guy she wanted us to meet (based on his reaction to me, I’m almost positive she did). New Year’s was on a Sunday, so after church, I headed over to her house, dressed in my typical winter Sunday dress of a nice shirt and slacks.
After a while, the rest of the guests conveniently left us alone in the dining room as they sought out dessert. He was nice, that was true, but he was a bit on the effeminate side and shy, to boot. We really didn’t have a lot to talk about, but I suppose it wasn’t too awful, considering how experiences like this usually go.
After a while, I had to go because I was meeting friends to see Chronicles of Narnia. I appreciated having the convenient out, and left. Later, my friend told me he had a good time, and asked if she could give him my number, and she said he was sure to call. She did, and I never heard from him.
After a little investigating, I figured out why. My friend had told me where he went to college, and my roommate was from that area and knew it was ultra-conservative. Sure enough, as I looked up their policies, a few things stood out to me:
Women aren’t supposed to wear pants (and I definitely was wearing them that day…hello, it was winter)
No one is to go to the movies (and I had mentioned that’s where I was heading)
Sunday as Sabbath was strictly enforced (which made my pant-wearing and movie-going all the worse)
Perhaps he didn’t buy into these teachings, but at the very least he was used to being around girls that did (okay, he probably wasn’t that used to being around girls at all).
He didn’t call me because I was too liberal for him.
That was a first, and I do believe it will be a last, as I thought I was about as liberal as they come.
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May 19th, 2009 at 7:59 am
Oh yes, when I think of you, liberal is the first word that comes to mind!!
Reminds me of this guy that came to my church several years ago…about 10. His first time there he came up to me and told me that God told him I was the one he was to marry. The only problem with that is I was going to college and working….BIG no-no’s. A “proper Christian young woman” should have been staying at home and learning to cook and clean for her future husband.
So, for the next several weeks he tried to convert me and convince me that what I was doing was wrong, and God’s will for my life was to marry him, and cook for him, clean for him, and have his children. Yes, he would say that.
The last time I saw him, he came up to me with a big envelope and said that I had inspired him to write an essay on what it meant to be a proper Christian young lady, because I was not. So he hoped I could learn something from it.
I told him where to shove it and yelled at him so much that he never came back. I was just so tired of it.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:08 am
yeah… sounds like a good thing this didnt work out… Pants? come on now!
May 19th, 2009 at 8:36 am
You, liberal…hahahahahahaha! It’s fine for people to be ultra-conservative but when they start judging others for not being that way is where love leaves and legalism sets in. God didn’t call everyone to those “standards” or else who would be here to minister to bands like Korn (POD toured with them). One of Korn’s band members was saved and baptized in the Jordan. That’s to say that God uses us in all styles, so long as we are in His will.
May 19th, 2009 at 8:38 am
that is so funny, was the university Liberty in VA?
May 19th, 2009 at 8:47 am
LOL! That is hilarious, but when I think of you I do not think “liberal”! I think “in between”.
May 19th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Well, at least you can still cut your hair and go to that college. There is that. And I think you’d get points for the movie you were going to see. And you were meeting a friend at the time…Two or more gathered. He just failed to see the conservative in you.
May 19th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Hee, isn’t it too funny when you see yourself through someone else’s (slightly nutty ;) eyes? I live in a very liberal area, and am always shocked when I find that someone thinks I’m too conservative!
May 19th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Liberty’s dress code is not that severe.
As for you Ronnica, “liberal” is not the word that springs to mind when I think of you! Oh well, his loss.
May 19th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
OneMom’s right, it wasn’t Liberty. They’re conservative, but I don’t think that a guy from there would think that I was too liberal.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
That’s like when I went to Baylor! I was the most conservative person in the world in Austin and at Baylor they thought I was libreal!
May 19th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
As a former student at Liberty, I can vouch it wasn’t Liberty.
Anyway, you didn’t need that legalistic sissypants.
♥ Joy
May 19th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Yeah…knowing a few friends of mine who go to Liberty, it’s probably not there. I do have a guess though.
May 20th, 2009 at 12:03 am
Too funny! Yep, I’m guessing you were too modern and liberal for his taste…his loss.
Congrats on your blogoversary! 3 years is a long time!
May 27th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
I guess as conservative as we think we are…there’s always someone more so.