Empowerment. Engagement. Authenticity.
Saying it Differently - Love Me Tinder
‘Swipe right to like someone, swipe left to move
on,’ read the caption.
I smirked from my smartphone to Christine. “You’ve got to be kidding
me.” It was Friday night and we were half way through a pitcher of
sangria at our favourite pub. “A mobile dating app?”
“This coming from someone who met three of her past men at a camp called
SCORE?”
“That’s not what “score” meant. SCORE was an acronym for – “
“Yeah, yeah, I know. The camp was sponsored by Wayne Gretzky. The point
is you met these guys face to face, got to know them inside out – “
Christine wiggled her eyebrows, “ – and they were all losers. So what’s
the harm in – “
“Wait, wait!” I held up a hand. “The pastor’s son wasn’t a loser. And,
let’s face it, I would have been a distraction on his path to ‘spiritual
formation’.”
“So, naturally, you followed him up with a guy who still calls you his
‘demoness’,”
“Leave Chris out of this,” I warned, swirling the fruit and ice cubes in
my glass. “He cares about me. We’re just better off as friends.”
“Says the guy who dumped you on your twentieth birthday.” Christine
tapped my smartphone. “You can’t tell me there’s no one better out
there.”
“Maybe,” I conceded. “But how can I know from a photo that’s most likely
ten years out of date and a bio more full of emojis than words?”
“Don’t be so cynical.” Christine passed over her own smartphone after a
couple left swipes. This cute guy asks a cool question. ‘What are the
three most memorable gifts you’ve received from a man and why?’”
I drummed my fingers on the table as I studied the photo of a studious
thirty-something with a crew cut of blonde hair. “A digital camera, a
seafood Valentine’s dinner and a pink MP3 player,” I said. “Memorable
because The camera was the first birthday present I’d received from this
particular man in nine years. A month later, I came home after work to
candlelight and seafood on a day he’d always sneered at as superficial
and materialistic. The next month’s present was the MP3 player he custom
ordered in my favourite colour.”
“And the next month?” Christine breathed, dreamy now.
“He said we should see other people.” I sat back in my chair. “Still
think I should take another swipe at dating?”
Saying it Differently
Changing one word in a common phrase can lead to an interesting story.
