i just like to smile. smiling's my favorite.

in theory, it's perfect.

browse through the sea of single catholic people. smile at the ones you like. send emails to the ones you really like. determine whether or not they are a creepster. block the ones that are. ask all the awkward, yet essential relationship questions to the ones that aren't. and if they continue to prove themselves adorable and amazing, hand out your phone number.

it totally eliminates the need to memorize the papa john's number to give to the guys at the bar that just don't make the cut.

at least once they figure out they've been rejected they can order a pizza.

and it also totally removes at least half the effort a woman puts into her appearance on a daily basis. you just post the best pictures of yourself online. go for the standard ponytail and lip gloss the rest of the time. you don't need to catch a man while you're pumping gas at the local bp. you're too busy catching them online. leave those ridiculous knee high boots at home. less work. more of this windblown scary face.

but as glorious as i'm discovering online dating to be, i have found one major flaw.

the lack of smoldering smiles. and i'm not talking about the smoldering smile that one guy posted of him and his power saw.

that smoldering smile translated to, "i'm going to cut you up into little pieces with this flashy piece of manliness metal and then literally smolder you."

i'm talking about the look that makes you go weak in the knees. the raised eyebrow that conveys a special message to you and you alone. the flash of pearly whites that still has you sighing 24 hours later.

case in point: exhibit a. the raj-a-nator. my best friend's boyfriend.

i guarantee you those eyes and that smile had something to do with her saying yes when he asked her out. who could resist the adorableness?



exhibit b: my irish bartenders. well, technically i share them with my best friend lauren.

a picture is worth a thousand words. this one likely more than a thousand words given how often i've written about them.

but while a picture is worth a thousand words, it's not worth a thousand in person interactions. i guarantee you i'm impartial to the raj-a-nator and robbie and marty not because of some picture i saw of them online or how they read on paper, but because of how fabulous they are in person.

and figuring out whether or not any of these guys online are fabulous in person always has you running the risk of becoming the latest face to grace the 2% milk cartons.

don't even get me started on the lack of hugs in online dating. and no i'm not talking about some sort of stupid emotigram that informs you jake--35721 has hugged you on catholic match.

i know for a lot of women a good hug from a guy may not be at the top of the priority list, but after spending four years with the men of the marquette liturgical choir who practically major in giving really good hugs, it is completely and entirely necessary.

do yourself a favor ladies. hug a mu lit choir boy. your view of the world will be changed forever.