Sarah's Dating Manifesto (because it's Valentine's Day!!)

Alright, ladies (and gents if you can just stop for one second and stop pretending you don't want to meet someone ...) welcome to my Dating Manifesto. To navigate this tricky terrain, there is one Cardinal Rule, to which all rules will adhere: Pretend you're on the Dating Game! And if you're not old enough to remember the show, you shouldn't be reading this ... That's right, one contestant, three members of the opposite sex, a screen (this last bit is optional).

Bachelor Number One, Two and Three. They all come out from some kind of conveyor belt system, one after the other, and do some kind of dance about who they are, what they like and don't like, et cetera. The beauty of the conveyor belt is of course that the casting department is there and ready with a replacement to come in after the commercial break. No hard feelings, it's show business, and if something doesn't work out, there are many waiting in the wings. Each bachelor must prove his worth to his potential date, but it's supposed to be funny and fun and light and not at all 'will you marry me' but instead 'do you fart in bed' or 'would your ex say you are a good lover'.

Ladies, I know what you do when you meet a guy - you're not playing the Dating Game - you're playing the Marriage Game - wrong, wrong, wrong! I know, because I used to do this. Run for the hills, fair gents, if a woman starts giving you that 'so, how many babies do you want to have' talk on the first date - that is not how you play!! It's all about flirting and testing out the waters, and for this you need 3 contestants. The last one standing wins, it's only fair. There are billions of people on this planet (okay, not SOOO many billions, but still), and why should you meet someone in a bar, or yoga center, or beach, and decide 'this is it, i'm gonna be Mrs. So-and-So (insert his last name here), and he must do all the right things, or else ... this is not light or joyful or happy! Show some self-respect, and get 3 boys on 3 high chairs and play the game yourself. And remember, they aren't winning a permanent place on the left side of your bed, they are winning a date - just one - not sex or a weekend in the countryside. So ... Happy Valentines Day & let the games begin!