After crash landing on planet single, our unfortunate protagonist tries to make sense of navigating this unfamiliar environment. He takes to the social sea. He was an avid skipper on his homeworld (Planet Marriage) but little did he know that this sea is treacherous unlike the relatively calm waters on his homeworld.
Gone are the days of a leisurely boat ride where you drop your anchor and check out what posts are swimming by today. Times have changed, amidst a myriad of responsibilities that is adult life, this might be the final frontier. The only way to meet new people. How ironic that in a world filled with ways to connect, people feel more disconnected than ever.
Through a fog of memes, your eyes strain while searching for signs of life. Is that a passing vessel? Do something you fool! Try waving. Did it work? Who knows…
Days later, a flash of lightning in the comments of a distant post… Was that a spark between us? Who knows…
Unexpectedly, you receive a friend request. That’s weird… A fair maiden from yonder. How does she know me? Oh, we have mutual friends… All guys. Okay then, accept. The scourge of unsuspecting sailors, what we have here is a siren. Part man, part beast… They lure men to their doom with sweet words. Don’t let it be you…
Okay, let’s get serious for a moment guys. What we are actually talking about here is people trying to seduce and get money from you. These people prey on the vulnerable and it can happen to men and women, but mostly men.
How to spot a fake profile
Firstly, scrutinize the profile before accepting the request. A tell-tale sign is the date and time on the profile pic and cover image. Is it recent? Generally, you’ll notice that it’s posted about 20 minutes ago. Look at the about section, does the information make sense? When the scammer is not from your country, they may not understand the geographic locations that they put in or like unfamiliar pages. Something is not right and you can feel it in your gut. What other posts are on the page? What emotion do the posts attempt to elicit in me? For instance, if the scam is related to getting rich quick. The pictures will depict a lavish, luxurious lifestyle.
If you’re still confused, I have a sure-fire way that I employ. Look at the profile picture, she’s a bombshell… Right? Unless this scammer has low self-esteem and feels he’s not good enough to use model quality pictures.
Bombshells like that don’t approach men.
“But Clint, it could happen…” – Nope. “But Clint, I’m a good looking guy. My mom says I’m an 8.” – Dude, you can’t be serious! Okay fine, I’ll give you an exception. Ask yourself… Am I Channing Tatum? If the answer is no, then the answer is… You guessed it, no! Let’s save you some pain. You could get so caught up in this fictitious endeavor that you miss a genuine connection with a real person. Now that would be a tragedy.
If all else fails, ask a friend for advice. Men don’t like to ask for help but there is no shame in doing so. Remember you were in husband/dad mode. The dating scene is vastly different and the rules have changed. Dude, the last time I was single was 2006. That’s 14 years ago. The only app was Mxit back then. Of course, you’ll be rusty. You should be.
An opportunity to do it differently…
This is my personal opinion. You may not agree with it. Perhaps, life dealt you a bad hand and this is your current situation. However, in every situation, there is an opportunity. Being single can be scary, our only recollection of singleness is when we were young and stupid so we associate singleness with reckless abandon and we default back to it.
Might I propose a different perspective? Yes, it’s not fair what happened. However, you now have the opportunity for a do-over. You now have the freedom of a single person with the sense of a mature one. You now have the opportunity to pursue your dreams unencumbered. Pursue what sets your soul on fire, not what sets your pants on fire.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. – 1 Corinthians 13:11
My point is, don’t squander every waking moment by trying to pick up chicks, like in your high-school years. However, there will be those moments that you come across someone that captures your attention and you need advice so you put your best foot forward.
It’s okay to get advice
You need someone that’s going to get you up to speed. I was talking to my friend, the other day, and he gave me such good advice (he always does) that I told him, he should be charging for his services. 😎
It’s a little embarrassing but it’s just you guys, we talk about everything so I’ll share… He established that my weak point is texting. My personality comes through when I talk, meet, or write but I text in a clinical, concise, unambiguous fashion that is simply not working for me. Needless to say, we’re working on it. 🤦♂️🤣
And thus a much-needed service was born. If you need a confidential consultation regarding the dating world, I have just the guy for you. Send me a message and I’ll give you his number.
That’s all for now. Until our next adventure in Plant Single. Take care. 😉