Electro Love

Electro Love
By Marianna Tabares

It’s been easy hiding behind a computer screen. Chat rooms have replaced a visit to the coffee shop, where one could peruse the area and catch an eye or two. Instead of human interaction, I’ve tapped the keys, hoping to expose the real person I am when shyness doesn’t get in the way. It’s led me to quite a few interesting people: There are shy guys who are brilliant but wouldn’t dare look a girl in the eye, yet they reveal themselves through a screen name and an instant message.
The guys I’ve met - I’m sure I wouldn’t speak to if I ran into them on the street or on campus. It’s easier to talk to people online than it is to try to say hello in person. Another hindrance is poor oral communication; I’d like to say something clever but instead, I stutter.

I came across a site that lets you upload a picture of yourself for other members of the service to rate on a scale of one to ten. I’ve gone up to a 6.5, which isn’t too bad. The same site allows you to meet the people you rate simply by clicking a link above the picture. Not all the clicks I’ve received were enticing. Some guys could’ve used some dental floss and a haircut.

Then one day, I noticed that a rather attractive guy had a desire to get to know me. No way in hell was I going to pass that up.

Our online meeting led to months of instant messages, before actually talking on the phone. Since he resides in Kentucky, we upgraded our cell phone plan to free nationwide long distance. It was definitely safe. If the guy had been a creep, I could have easily blocked him from my buddy list and just erased his number from my phone book. It didn’t quite turn out that way. The conversations ran deep and were reserved for unlimited weekend minutes.

It came time for the veil of safety to be removed. The next big step was to meet in person. The whole thing was a dream. All I knew of the guy was what I learned from countless chats and hours of phone conversations. It was almost impossible to imagine that the person with whom I was falling in love could materialize and be real. My electronic lover was a real person and I couldn’t yet comprehend that fact.

Soon it all came together when I stood there waiting for him to exit the terminal and before I knew it, his hand was in mine. We rode away from the airport trying to put it all together. We tried matching our voices to our faces. (I know this all sounds cheesy, but we’re both romantics and can’t help but take every detail into account.)

It’s not often that you bring to life who you meet on the Internet. Most of the time, you meet creeps and perverts who want you to watch their web cams or who approach you with the always seductive line: “Wanna cyber?”

The way it looks now, we might be together for a long time, regardless of the distance between us. From this experience, I’ve learned to believe that you can meet the person of your dreams, regardless of geographical locations. The Internet, though quite infamous, has played the part of cupid and shot me with the arrow of electro love.

Contact Marianna Tabares