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By Riley Jones
Love is in the air around campus as Valentine’s approaches Woodward. However, no love story is perfect, and some dates can be anything but romantic. Bad dates are one of the inevitable evils of life, almost topping stubbing your toe, and at some point in their life, everyone has them. Even our very own Woodward teachers aren’t immune to this experience, and many have been witness to less-than-swoon-worthy dates.
Many things can make an outing go sour, but an anonymous administrator recalls a few dates that set off some serious red flags. The first was a coordination mistake that ended up ruining the event.
“We went to two completely different places,” the administrator said. “He went to one place and I went to the other… we just sat there in awkward silence waiting for each other.”
Being stood up is a terrible feeling, especially when it happened because you typed the wrong address in Google Maps. While you should always remember to double-check the location you sent your date, this faculty member also cautions against asking highly personal questions.
“He asked me about my political views on the first date,” the administrator said.
Yikes. What happened to “What’s your favorite color?” Asking who you’re voting for in the election isn’t always the best introduction, and a date can get incredibly awkward when you disagree with your partner’s opinion on politics.
Moving on from politics, first impressions are also important. If you go on blind dates or get to know someone online, that first meeting can be nerve-racking. For this particular administrator, their date was far from who they expected.
”I was talking to this guy and we exchanged numbers, but I didn’t realize that his cousin who was sitting near us overheard me giving him my number,” the administrator said.
After enjoying her conversation, they discovered a message from that person the next day. Or so they thought.
“He texts me to go out and I’m thinking he’s the cute guy from last night so I agree, but it was his silent cousin who was sitting near us,” the administrator said.
After showing up to the date, their partner wasn’t the person they were talking to. Some people find their dates to be far from what they imagined, but seeing an entirely different person must have come as a shock. Life lesson, be careful where you give out your number because you never know who’s listening.
Another teacher, Mrs. Tonya Whitmire remembers a date when she couldn’t speak at all. After agreeing to go to a restaurant, she was taken aback when her date didn’t let her order. Some people order differently from the usual when dining with someone else, but in this case, she wasn’t even given a choice.
“He chose my food for me…,” Mrs. Whitmire said. “Like, I have a voice.”
If you’re going out this Valentine’s, beware of new dates who try to decide your order. That’s how you end up with a walking red flag and a possible allergic reaction.
Various administrators have had memorable dating mistakes, but for some, the experience was more general. For example, Modern World teacher, Mr. Matt Tilford experienced a regular and feared event. The date where you can’t tell if it’s actually a date.
When going out with someone new, it can be hard to tell if you’re hanging out as friends or something more, but it’s not the best idea to ask “What are we?” on the second conversation (trust me I’ve done it before). Mr. Tilford dislikes this feeling.
“I dislike those ambiguous dates where you don’t know if it’s as friends or exploring,” Mr. Tilford said.
Finally, some teachers have never had a bad date. Whether this was due to great planning or pure luck, teachers like Mr. Kevin Henderson, never had to experience an awkward outing.
“My dates all went very well, and I had a great time on my dates,” Mr. Henderson said.
Although bad dates are unavoidable (for most people), you can learn from them and have a funny story to tell your friends later.