Dating According to Amanda: Rules

If you're single and have a blog, you HAVE to include posts on dating, right???  So here is the first in what is likely to be a series, since it is a big part of this stage in life.

I've never liked dating, mostly because I never really dated.  I spent A LOT of time before I got married watching friends go on dates, get engaged, and get married while I stayed at home.  Not a pleasant part of that time in my life.  And apparently, I get to go for round 2. 

This particular post regards the rules of modern dating.  Or rather, my cluelessness of said rules.

So much of dating happens within the online world now, and this is unfamiliar territory for me.  I saw an add that made me laugh for the LDS dating app Mutual.  The sense of humor drew me in.  The cost had me downloading it:  free.  It is basically a version of Tinder for Mormons.  You swipe, he swipes, if you swipe the same way it's mutual and you can talk.  Pretty simple.  Except when it's not because there's these unwritten rules you have to follow, the most important regarding timing.

If you match with someone, you shouldn't message them right away because you might be perceived as too eager and clingy.  But if you wait too long, then you're not really interested but just killing time.  Then, once you do message, the chances of getting a message back are somewhere in the 11% range, I think.  However, occasionally magic happens and you get a response!  But don't you dare respond within the first 12-24 hours because of the same eager/clingy reasons as stated above.  Then, once you respond, you have to wait those same 12-24 hours because he's following the same rules when really all you want is a good, more immediate conversation.  So you do this for a few days, and then you decide to take the leap...you message back within the hour.  But you don't get a message back right away.  So you stress.  Was it too soon?  Should you have waited a few more hours?  Did you scare him off?  You wait.  Nothing.  You wait.  Nothing.  You write it off as yet another failed attempt when lo and behold, your phone dings!  You have a message!  The conversation continues, and you're getting to the point where you'd like to take it to the next level:  FaceBook.  Is he ready for this?  Should you ask?  Is that being too stalkery (enough though you've already tracked him down and memorized everything you could find)?  What do you do?!?!

Guys, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING HERE!!!!!!!