I have spent a decade, off and on, meeting and dating online. I am one of those women who seems to make men very comfortable and so they have behaved and spoken, endlessly, without any concept of propriety or boundaries, as if they were in some sort of social dmz, safe from any censorship or outrage. I listened and watched and ended up with a funny, sad, curious, unpredictable, and even poignant collection of encounters with doctors, lawers, judges, artists, businessmen, and others, including 12 who had an uncanny connection with my past, and in those encounters, some perception of the past was significantly altered. Those who heard my stories were in disbelief and yet sure that no one could make up such events. I place no judgement on any of my experiences, even though sometimes it was hard to avoid. I see them as a fascinating journey into the very human and sensitive matters of the heart, a journey that, except for the internet, could never have been possible. The phenomena of internet dating has become overwhelmingly huge since I began, but to many it is still suspect with a mixed reputation. To those who have and are doing it, this story is theirs too, for those who haven’t, it will be a look into what must surely be at least a curiosity. My story is not meant to support or change anyone’s attitude in any way. We have it, we need it, and this is just what happened. And it’s all “g” rated.

–by Marian

Filed under: Reader Submitted Stories • Sex and Love