Seeking in the Sticks (Part 1)

I opened the CommitmentISM intake form with both excitement and dread. 

Excitement, because this felt like a step toward doing dating differently. Dread, because putting yourself out there is hard. 

Every time I get let down it takes a little more effort to muster up the enthusiasm to try again. 

And the truth is, I’m not sure if I really believe this will be different. I’ve tried all the apps. I’ve gone speed dating. I’ve been set up by friends and family, but my immediate dating pool is small and filtering for who I actually hope to find makes it even smaller. 

I know God’s timing is perfect, but it can’t hurt to usher things along, right?

The form started simply enough, asking for basic details about my job, hobbies, and lifestyle. But many of the questions drilled down more than I expected. Instead of just asking about my social circle in general, the form prodded, “Why do you choose to call them friends?

The prompts got deeper as I went.

“What do you think shaped you into who you are today?” 

“Why do you believe you're single?”

There was space to stretch out on my dreams for the future, my bucket list for me and my future spouse, and how I like to live my faith down to individual Catholic devotions. 

I’m still not sure what will come of this, but if Madigan has this much background on each of the hundreds of people in her database, that does give me more confidence in her process. 

I’ll keep my mind open. Wish me luck!