In 1996 every family across our country was infiltrated. We received endless CD's in the mail to launch a new internet program called America Online. I was 13 and begged my parents to sign us up and they did! It was an amazing new revolution called "the internet", especially for a young teenage girl such as me, who had strict rules and curfew. Now, I had ultimate freedom online, and I went straight for the teen Houston chat rooms. Since I loved music with an extreme passion, and played clarinet, I created my user name as Muzicbabe. I began searching for other members who were in my age bracket, in Houston, and who enjoyed many of the same bands and hobbies as I did. I found several new friends always adding them to my "buddy list". We all exchanged phone numbers and had group conversations, sometimes with up to ten people, creating phone parties, talking and laughing late into the night. Many of my "AOL buddies" and I exchanged mailing addresses. We sent each other pictures, letters and became pen pals. As the years passed, though, I developed real life boyfriends, became active in after school activities, and excelled with my clarinet in wind ensemble, I strayed from the computer more and more. I graduated high school, and the late night AOL friends simply vanished back into cyberspace, rarely ever thought of again.
After graduation, I moved out of my parent’s home and went to the University of Houston. A few years later I began working for an old fashioned matchmaker service providing compatible matches and introducing singles. Eight years later I started up my own dating service. I hosted hundreds of singles parties, dinners, and provided personalized introductions. Many couples married and started their own families with my help, and it felt great. I have been in the dating service industry now for over 10 years. I love providing singles with an alternative to meeting in bars and online. As I've focused my life helping others meet, I neglected my own love life. I kept dating the wrong type of guy and even called off 3 engagements! I just kept falling back into old routines like many of my dating service clients had. Finally in 2010, I listened to the advice of my mother, who suggested I just stay single for some time. I lived alone in my apartment and worked for a year at my parent’s pediatric office. It gave me time to reflect my inner self, strengths, and hobbies. When I did enter back into the dating scene I was very picky and decided to just have fun! It was an amazing time of my life, getting to know many different types of guys. Some were the most outrageous characters! I dated every type of guy from a cage fighter, NBA referee, my neighbor upstairs, insurance salesman, even a local rodeo committee cowboy with a giant poodle. All these guys were exciting and fun, just not right for me. I decided out of boredom one day, when I was building my new friends’ list on Facebook. to look up my old penpal and AOL phone buddies from 15 years ago. I found Adam, Rockklolx, same as I remembered him; a very funny, sweet, musician and still living in Houston. We chatted on Facebook at first, and instantly went right back to the phone laughing and talking all hours into the night, just like when we were in 8th grade. We both were 28 now, single and had a history of bad relationships. I was very cautious and trying to take things slowly. After a few months of talking on the phone, we finally built the courage to meet in person. Following our first meet I felt so comfortable and enjoyed our time so much that we decided to have two more wonderful dates. He even surprised me by sending beautiful red roses and a teddy bear to my work, and made me feel absolutely amazing. I was falling in love so quickly I pulled back and out of fear pulled away from him for two months.
I continued to date other people. After a date with another crazy character, I called Adam and we talked all night. The next day he came to meet me at a poker league game, and we had a fun time playing all night. I wanted to see him again and he wanted to see me. We found out that our original musical connection was stronger than we thought. We played piano, guitar, clarinet jamming and honking notes late into the night. We saw concerts from our favorite bands. We discovered we have the same outlook and attitudes on life, and share similar morals and values. We even share the same dreams and goals. Over the year we explored our world around us and went on wild adventures! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect partner. He satisfies me in so many areas I don't even desire to look at other men. Adam supports me, my hobbies, and joys in life as do I for him. We have been inseparable, and this past September he proposed! Our wedding will be next November and I couldn't be happier. I recently rummaged through my childhood memory box and low and behold I found all of Adams pictures from when we were 8th grade online pen pals, I never threw them away. I am proud to tell people we met online, twice.
