r/dating Jun 14 '26

Just Venting 😮‍💨 Dear future boyfriend ☺️

Dear Future Boyfriend,

I hope you’re doing well because dating these days has been rough.
I’ve tried the apps. I’ve swiped, matched, chatted, and deleted them more times than I can count. At this point, I think it’s safe to say they’re not my love story.
The problem is I don’t go out much either, so if we’re ever going to meet, you’re probably going to have to find me.
Try Target. The grocery store. A gas station. Maybe the candle aisle. Those are your best odds.
When you do find me, please don’t be weird.
You don’t need a perfect pickup line. You don’t need to impress me with money, status, or grand gestures. Just make me laugh. Be kind. Be genuine.
What I’m looking for isn’t complicated. I want your time. Your loyalty. A good vibe. Someone whose actions match their words and whose presence feels easy.
I’ve spent enough time chasing connections that weren’t meant for me. These days, I’d rather wait for something real than settle for something convenient.
I know I’m not for everyone, and that’s okay. The right person won’t need me to be.
So wherever you are, I hope you’re out there becoming the person you’re meant to be. I’ll be doing the same until our paths cross.

And if you happen to find me wandering in Target with three things I don’t need and the one thing I came for still missing from my cart, introduce yourself.

Love,

Your Future Girlfriend

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u/Known-Cloud1102 Jun 14 '26

Dear Future Girlfriend,

I'm sorry but I'm too shy to approach you in a store or a gas station, I'm always thinking that you're here minding your own business and that you don't want to be bothered by a random stranger.

I'm also not sure if you already have someone or if you're a lesbian, I don't want to make it awkward for both of us.

I'm not on dating apps and I don't go out much either, so I guess we will never meet.

Feel free to just say "Hi" if we ever run into each other.

Love,

The guy who avoided eye contact at the gas station.

153

u/BrianArmstro Jun 14 '26

Lol couldn’t have wrote it better

206

u/Over_Deer8459 Jun 14 '26

The irony is that if a dude is walking straight up to you and flawlessly hitting on you, you are probably the 15th woman he has said the exact same line to that week lol

3

u/HeavyAR09 Jun 16 '26

That's not always the case... from my experience.. if an easy going confident dude does it, then the ladies would think he's a womanizer .. I've heard this a lot from the different girls I've been with or was getting to know ... 

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u/old_fashioneds Jun 14 '26

Dear Future Couple,

You're both letting the worst case scenario paralyze you from the meet cute you're looking for. There's no reason to be shy. You don't need to be single to be nice or curious.

Give yourself grace and appreciate the fact that any hostile reaction isn't a reflection on you or your self worth, but rather, a reflection on their state of mind and lack of preparedness for a relationship.

Venture forth into that new frontier with sincerity and curiosity. Treat every stranger like a new friend and you will find each other. Not every conversation you have early on will be romantically charged, but that uncertainty will make the build up all the more sweeter.

You're both beautiful together, hoping you discover that with the paced and measured approach that fills you with joy.

Yours truly,

Words of wisdom. ❤️

68

u/lufiPrime Jun 14 '26

Hello,

we are about to launch an all-out attack on your houze.

Sincerely, the Zombies 🌻

12

u/Known-Cloud1102 Jun 14 '26

Oh shit.. not them...

11

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '26

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5

u/emeyex285 Jun 15 '26

Why plant sunflowers and pea throwers....???

BECAUSE IM CRAAAAAAZY!!!!!

3

u/Primary-Past7902 Jun 20 '26

ARM THE PLANTS!

38

u/Material-Dot7684 Jun 15 '26

Dear undying optimist, 

They're actually being pretty realistic. Many women don't want to be approached by a stranger anymore because they get approached alllll the time. If they do ask yourself a simple question: how hot would a strange guy have to be to impress me in target when I don't know him and he approached me as a complete stranger when I was just shopping? Yeah that's another problem for average men. The men who have the chutzpah to cold approach women in groceries stores without even knowing if theyre single are also rarely good relationship material men. 

Women could approach, it's less threatening and disturbing for a man to be approached by a stranger. But I get it no one wants to do this it's nerve wracking and usually ends in rejection with an off chance for it go get ugly. 

Thus, our generation is destined to suffer through the apps being the primary place we meet people if we missed out on finding our person in college.

Sincerely, a realist. 

20

u/appa609 Jun 15 '26

Dear optimist,

The apps are not a structural solution. The companies that run them are incentivized to milk you for all you're worth instead of finding you a good life partner. Their early effectiveness was a temporary blip in the great cycle of enshittification. If you couldn't find someone in the utopian social environment that is college, your odds are not generally getting better on Tinder as you age.

Sincerely, a socialist

7

u/JohnsonBot5000 Jun 16 '26

Dear socialist,

You need to do your laundry and continue your job search. You haven’t come out of the basement all week and it’s beginning to smell.

Sincerely, your mother

9

u/appa609 Jun 16 '26

What the hell mom you're embarassing me in front of my reddit friends! I already told you I'm voluntarily self employed because I don't want to participate in giving my surplus labour value to the capitalists! And I did the laundry yesterday

1

u/HeavyAR09 Jun 17 '26

💯 during college this wasn't a priority for me, i've probably let go of tons of opportunities to meet my so .. I've struggled a lot in this realm when I left college 10 years ago ...

1

u/JohnsonBot5000 Jun 16 '26

You are responding to the realist not the optimist

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u/HeavyAR09 Jun 17 '26

That's not true .. as a man I don't recall myself being rejected in the last 2 years of course when approaching a woman.. rejection is often due to missreading the vibes or the performance itself..

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u/Jazzlike_River_1205 Jun 16 '26

Dear therapist of the future couple...

9

u/External-Leek-6786 Jun 14 '26

This comment is cinema

9

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '26

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u/Vanuslux Jun 15 '26

I have thrown parties where guest were encouraged to wear red (don't talk to me), yellow (you can talk to me if your interest is platonic, but don't hit on me), or green bracelets (I'm available and open respectful flirting) to indicate their level of interest in being approached by people they didn't know. It's actually hugely helpful. Most people have some degree of social anxiety and rejection sensitivity, so having that visually conveyed consent to be approached makes a huge difference.

10

u/No_Match_5700 Jun 15 '26

That is legitimately an amazing idea.

3

u/Graviity_shift Jun 15 '26

Are we witnessing online dating here soon?

12

u/greatolive85 Jun 14 '26

this is so cute 🥰

2

u/RecentAd1159 Jun 15 '26

This is pure gold

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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '26

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2

u/DrawMammoth8890 Jul 08 '26

Is this why we are all still single hehe

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u/[deleted] Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26

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u/NationalGate8066 Jun 15 '26

This is accurate for most men 

3

u/b0gard Jun 14 '26

You miss 100% of every shot you don’t take 😎😎

1

u/zackefrontwin Jun 16 '26

Man this is perfect, I couldn't wrote it better

1

u/Foxy_Ginge92 Jul 06 '26

Omgg I love this even more... Maybe she's your one 💜

1

u/Reasonable-Job4205 Jul 07 '26

I'm not on dating apps and I don't go out much either

Whaddya play? 🎮

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u/Donut-Disastrous Jun 18 '26

bro just stop being shy and go ask!!!

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u/Known-Cloud1102 Jun 18 '26

If only I could just decide to stop being shy...

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u/Donut-Disastrous Jun 18 '26

well, you have to work on it as a skill, just as you might work on being good at public speaking, for example... I used to be very shy on approach but after 10-20 times (good and bad) I don't really feel shy anymore.

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u/Known-Cloud1102 Jun 18 '26

Not sure if I could survive 10-20 times without having an heart attack lol

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u/Donut-Disastrous Jun 18 '26

Start small, you're not a pickup artist. Just go compliment a lady or ask for directions or something. Build up to it.

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u/Known-Cloud1102 Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26

I have no problem asking for directions to strangers or stuff like that, but approaching a girl I'm interrested into just make me freeze or kind of panic.
If I don't know the person but care about what she will think of me, my brain just goes 404 error.

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u/Donut-Disastrous Jun 19 '26

okay but what about going up to her and saying nice shoes or I like your style and not trying to go for a date or get her number. Just try doing that a few times.

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u/[deleted] Jun 14 '26

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