First date

Submitted via the Personal Wyszdom request:

Hi Wysz. What type of place would you recommend for a first date? Do you have any tips on how to make a good impression?

This depends on how well you know the other person. If you can find a common interest or know of something that he/she likes, then that makes it easier. If you don’t have much info or any better ideas, you can of course fall back on the classics: a bite at the local burger joint or pizza parlor followed by a monster movie at the drive-in, or perhaps an organized event like the sock hop.

You may also want to consider some important details for making the evening comfortable for both of you:

Don’t go anywhere with complicated food. Finger-friendly fare such as french fries and pizza is desirable over more challenging dishes that could potentially make you or your date look foolish. I mean if you give the impression that you don’t even know how to eat by now, after eating every day of your life, it’s just not going to go well. Even spaghetti can be a little much… have you ever had that impossible bowl where you just spin and spin your fork and no matter what you do it doesn’t get to a point where you can get it in your mouth without slurping?

Use an activity to reduce the pressure for conversation and minimize awkward silences. Movies are great, because it’s actually against the rules to talk for a couple hours of your date. Plus, it gives you a filler topic for the rest of the time. Before the movie, you can discuss what you’ve heard about it. After, you can discuss what you thought about it. The same goes for almost any other activity, such as dinner, a night at the roller rink, or miniature golf. Here’s an example:

Before the activity:
You: Have you ever been mini-golfing before?
Date: Yes, I have.
You: Me too!

During the activity:
You: What’s your score so far?
Date: 18.
You: Me too!

After the activity:
You: Did you like that course?
Date: Yes, I enjoyed it. My favorite part was the windmill.
You: Me too!

So those are some basic tips when it comes to planning. As for making a good first impression, think of it like a job interview. Have a few stories about yourself ready to work into the conversation no matter what, but make sure they give an honest illustration of who you are, so you can see how your date reacts to the true you. But don’t talk about yourself the whole time. Spend extra effort asking about the other person and getting to know him or her. If you find yourself beginning to be truly interested in what they have to say, then that’s a good sign. Just don’t be creepy in your questioning, like prying for information about previous relationships. You don’t want to go there.

Disclaimer: Wysz didn’t even go to prom, but he has been to multiple drive-ins.