Dating is like a box of chocolates

With apologies to Forrest Gump’s momma (and author Winston Groom), dating is like a box of chocolates. And the rest of the quote is correct too, “You never know what you’re gonna get.”

I’ve written about how dating is like Baskin-Robbins, house hunting, plant care and shopping, and men are like shoes. And I have a few more metaphors to explore.

But it struck me recently — while nibbling on a box of chocolates — how similar the two can be. And was Momma (Winston) ever so right — you never know what you’re gonna get.

See if you agree with my comparisons.

• I love receiving a box of chocolate, whether Godiva, Ethel M, See’s, Russell Stover, or a boutique brand. But the box sets the tone. Godiva and other top brands realize the importance of their packaging. I am drawn to a man who is packaged (dresses) well, too.
• I want my favorites first, whether chocolate or men. If I receive several invitations for an evening or weekend, I say “yes” to my favorite guy, begging off with the other(s), saving them for another day.
• When partaking of a preferred chocolate piece, I savor it slowly and carefully, nibbling daintily, relishing every morsel. When with a favorite man, I enjoy every moment. I’m present to everything I see, taste, touch, hear and smell. I don’t want our time together to end.
• Before assorted-chocolate boxes came with a “key” to the flavors, my mother pinched each piece to see what was inside. That is equivalent to reading a guy’s online profile, exchanging a few emails, and then talking on the phone. Before you commit to an experience with him, you want to know a little about what’s inside.
• Just like chocolates, some men are nutty, others crunchy, and some have soft, gooey centers. (Some are even liqueur filled!) And like chocolate-covered cherries, some guys are just too sweet, becoming cloying and saccharine.
• With a new brand of chocolates — without that important “key” — you have no idea what you’re getting. So you have to take a risk and try a little nibble. You may be pleasantly surprised to find a new taste treat in an unknown shape. Sometimes coffee (a nibble) with a new guy will reveal a treasure in someone you might not have thought you’d like. (See my postings on “Yummy is as yummy does” and “Treasure found.”)
• I delight when I reopen the box discovering a favorite is still there. When contacted by a sweetie I thought was gone, I’m equally pleased. As long as I’m not expecting him to be my full-time, long-term, only love, I relish our time together.
• I don’t like to share good chocolates — or good men. When I find something/someone delectable, I don’t want to share. Call me selfish, but I want it/him all to myself.
• Sometimes, but rarely, I overdose on too much of a good thing. If I gorge on scrumptious chocolate, I get a tummy ache. Sometimes if I indulge by spending a lot of time with a yummy guy, his foibles surface and he’s less desirable. Best to ration our time together so it’s always delicious.
• Expensive chocolate can be heavenly. But so can Hershey’s or Dove. Men don’t have to be rich to be appreciated. But rich men, like expensive chocolate, often come in more enticing wrappings.
• What happens when you get to the dregs — the pieces you’re not that fond of? With chocolates, I salvage as much as I can, usually gnawing the chocolate coating around a center I don’t like. There is always something salvageable. While rarely has a date gone sour, some have been at the far end of the desirable scale. But there is always a lesson for me, even with dates that end less than deliciously.
• When the box is empty, I am sad, but know my favorites are abundantly available with a mouse click. I can order more whenever the whim hits. When my dating pipeline has thinned, I log onto my online dating site and shop for a new favorite or two.

(Alert reader Barbara McNichol sent me to CocoaBella Chocolates‘ website which allows you to customize a box of chocolates. The site automatically saves each box you create, so reordering is easy. See my posting “Building your Franken-boyfriend” for my thoughts on doing this with a boyfriend.)

Technorati Tags: dating Internet, dating online, senior dating, bbw dating, mature dating, dating over 50, dating over 40, online dating advice