I've taken a huge step forward on OkCupid by finally actually using the site -- messaging and "like"-ing people.
It all began when, one day, after some 10 months of not even looking at the site, I finally got the courage to get back into looking at the matches I kept getting emailed, and by chance I found one I actually wanted to talk to: someone not just into anime and video games, but many of the same as I am. Her profile was definitely written in my "native language" with such message-me-if lines as "you want to 1-v-1 in SSB4 (no Brawl plz)" and "you are a pilot and want to be my boyfriend. Kyun kyun, motherfucker! :P".
She never responded to my message despite the passage of several days and her having visited the site over that time, so I take it she's just not into me, but just knowing that there are people on the site who check
that many of my personal boxes was encouraging, because she can't be the only one. I drastically altered my profile to be
way more open (that is, putting my love of anime and video games front and center instead of being so shy about it), inspired by hers, and I hope someone who likes mine as much as I like theirs is receptive to my next attempt.
Even though I have yet to meet anyone or even to have an interaction over the site just yet, I feel
so much more content with my life right now after this experience. The first time doing anything new and frightening, especially in the social arena, is always extremely hard for me; I'd spent a
long time just wallowing in my loneliness without really taking steps to improve the situation, especially considering the stigma associated with online dating (despite the increasing number of successful couples I know of who met through OKC in particular,
including people who are now married). Now that I've finally taken this critical step, who knows, before long I might go on the first date of my life.
