Scheduling Dates Via E-mail: Why I Dislike Feeling Like My Future is Sitting in Someone's Inbox

I am an e-mailer. Though certainly young enough to recall a time when life functioned just fine sans the Internet, I admit to being fully addicted to the Internet and e-communication. But, I think that despite all the many benefits of e-mail, I have one bone to pick with this medium of communication.

As all readers of this blog know, I have been actively online dating since March. Sure there's been a break here and there as an online match became a relationship or at least seemed to have potential to become such. It seems that most of the guys I've encountered like to schedule dates via e-mail. With EE, even after months of dating, most of our plans were made this way. With AG, dates were always originally suggested via e-mail and then plans usually firmed up on the day of the date via phone as we became more comfortable.

HS has also opted for the e-option. Plans for a second date are in the works. We've e-mailed back and forth about venue and timing. My most recent response was sent last night, and I've yet to hear anything back. Things are pretty much firmed up, but I would like a confirmation e-mail. Thus, I'm left with the feeling I frequently have at such times. My future plans are sitting in someone's inbox. Or, at least I hope they are. As a fairly high strung gal, I always worry that somehow, despite the fact that I can see my sent e-mail in my sent mail folder, my message didn't actually make it. That's the thing about e-mail, friends, you cannot see that it's been sent. It's kind of like the Pill. Sure, we know it's 99.9% effective, but can we see it working? No. We just have to trust that it does so.

Whatever happened to making plans via phone? You talk back and forth. All questions are answered. It probably takes less time. It surely would put my little, paranoid mind at ease. Now, with HS, it's still too early in the communication process for such phone planning...so BODS. But, at some point, shouldn't dates be planned in an alternative way? And, is it further evidence of the disfunction of my relationship with EE that I can only think of a handful of times when we utilized the phone to make plans? And, do I really need further evidence of the disfunction of that relationship? Hmmmm....