"Like Barry from Eastenders"

Yesterday was a beautiful day, a real sense that spring had finally sprung - and I spent most of it in a meeting in a church basement.

Actually it's not a bad as it sounds. A chance to catch up with people, throw around ideas, look back on the past year but also forward to the next. Breaks for coffee, food, and a much welcome drink down the pub for an hour, also helped!

There was a slightly surreal part of the day when the issues of being single got discussed - quite how I'm not entirely sure - and it was quite intriguing. How we address the issues facing those who are 'desperate and dateless' (or who perhaps end up in the 'freaks, geeks and losers' category - don't worry, all the terms were used in 'ironic' quotes and initiated by those of us in the categories!) threw up some interesting ideas; and surprised me how out of touch on such an issue some can be.

Intriguingly, I'm at that 'awkward age'. I'm slightly too old to be in the first flush of attractive singledom - but if I wait another 10 years then my time will come. Those currently in relationships become divorced and I, as a 'nice guy', become a hot property - woo-hoo!!

Amusingly, and completely separately to all this, someone is trying to play cupid and set me up. "Just look them up on Facebook, send them an email or message, and take it from there," were the instructions. Now one flaw is I don't actually know their Facebook name, nor do I particularly use Facebook, but that wasn't my main issue.

"So I just send them a message out of the blue and suggest meeting up? Despite the fact that I don't know her, or what she looks like, and she has no idea who I am? It seems somewhat... contrived? Not exactly a 'natural' way of meeting up is it?" I say.

"I was trying to think if you've met before and was trying to describe what you looked like."

"Barry from Eastenders is often said as a pretty good likeness," I reply. The day moves on.

Later the person rather sweetly apologised for embarrassing me earlier. The apology was unnecessary but I suppose I was embarrassed - it was the whole 'arrange a blind date via Facebook' thing that threw me most. Mind you, as I often say, it's when people stop trying to set me up that I need to worry!

;o)