What To Do When Your Online Dating Profile Meets Real Life? No, Seriously, What Do You Do?

I have noticed recently that there are more men who, when I am in public places, appear to recognize me.  Since I have gotten into the online dating again, and live in a city that is fairly large but small at the same time, I often wonder if I would ever get recognized.  The thought made me nervous. There are men (and woman) who have been on my particular dating site for years, so chances are that they tend to pay attention to "new comers" when they pop up out of the boiling beast that is online dating sites.

The more time I spend on dating sites (not procuring many dates from it) the more I realize not only how much better it is meeting people in real life but how it also doesn't matter how and where you meet people.  Last week while "trolling the line" on 'the dating site' I was caught by a familiar name and picture.  Turns out Icelandic Giant, while we meet initially in person, is also on the dating site I use. I laughed hard when I came across it and sent him a message, and later on the phone asked him about it.

Friday night I was finally on my first date with the Icelandic Giant. We ended up at a local restaurant/bar where a mutual friend sings. After the evening wrapped up, a large group of those present to listen to her sing headed back to her place to tip a few more back.

It wasn't very long after we arrived at her house before I was introduced to a few new people.  One introduction in particular stood out, and rightly it should; there was a brief moment after I met him before I told him he looked familiar. He grinned, leaned in and whispered "I've seen you on 'online dating site" and with a pause told me "When I saw you at the bar I thought 'that's her!'". Oh good, my first time being recognized.

Apparently he had messaged me on the site, but I had not responded (I very rarely do). With this information I got a little embarrassed, but then realized I shouldn't really be because, after all, he was on the site too and I shouldn't be embarrassed that I didn't respond to him.  We had a brief conversation and when someone commented on my open bottle of wine on the coffee table, I picked it up and took a slug, holding up the bottle I grinned and said "classy, right?" laughed and walked away. No sense in pretending I'm someone I'm not.

The rest of the evening I was a little unsettled knowing that he was paying attention to me, sizing me up.  It was clear that despite the fact that I may have been on a date with someone, he was still interested in me.  When I departed for the evening I said all my goodbye and when I went in for a hug (I hug everyone) he asked if the man I was with was my boyfriend and if he could send me a message later.  I told him he wasn't and he could.

I don't know if that was an appropriate thing to do. Maybe since I was on a date (that was going well) that it wasn't the right thing to do.  I don't know. I've never been in that situation, or known anyone who has been, so the particulars are fuzzy for me.

What is the process one should follow, when your online dating life crashes into your real life?  Probably make sure that your online dating life isn't that much different than your real life to start with.

Yeah, that was kind of a random.