The Perfect Date

One of the most common themes of my friends’ conversations lately has been "the perfect date." This is probably because prom is right around the corner and we're all fantasizing about the big night. But I can't help but realize how girls can have such drastically different perceptions about "the perfect date."

For example, my sister said that her perfect date would consist of eating sushi and then watching Star Trek all night. This was after I told her that since this was hypothetical, she could have anything she wanted. I told her the cost of the date didn't matter and she still just wanted to eat cold fish and watch a dorky science fiction show.

Not all women imagine the perfect date as being taken for a night on the town in a limo. Personally, I could have fun just walking through the park or going to see a movie. Besides, I don't think it's the location that makes the date perfect but how well the date and I get along.

None the less though, I do imagine my perfect date just like my girlfriends do. It's always a little different in my head. I think of different scenarios. I'd like to go out to an open mike show at a comedy club or at a restaurant. One of the nicest dates I've ever been on, my date sang karaoke to me. I always think it's cool when people can be so fearless.

But ideally, my perfect date would probably be a midnight stroll in a garden or something. I know, it sounds romantic and silly. I think all of the perfect date scenarios sound a little silly though. I wonder sometimes if guys ever think about the perfect date. I know it sounds really goofy and they probably don't spend any time thinking about it at all.

I would hate to be a guy. Guys have to stress about creating the perfect date. It seems like a double standard to me. The girl expects to be treated like a princess, have the guy pay for the meal, pull her chair out, get the door for her...but does she treat her date like a king? Maybe there's a reason why guys don't fantasize about the perfect date. It may just be because they don't care that much though.

I'm even uncomfortable with a guy paying, so thinking of a guy kissing up to me the whole date would make me uncomfortable. I guess it doesn't make the other girls uncomfortable. But isn't it a little rude that we're fantasizing and holding guys up to these romantic expectations that they'll never be able to live up to? After all, shouldn't it be more about the connection with your date and less about how much he spends on a meal or if he forgets to open a door for you?