A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

You've probably never even heard of this film before, let alone seen it. But I had to watch it back in middle school for Latin class. Don't ask me what made me think of it the other day. That's just how my mind works sometimes. But anyways, in this musical comedy inspired by an ancient Roman playwright, a slave attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. I don't recall anything very funny happening and the characters never even travel to the Forum. Basically, the title has nothing to do with the actual movie.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Because this post has absolutely nothing to do with the title either. Nothing funny happened on my way to work today. This post is actually about speed dating. Yes, you read that correctly. One of my roommates and I went speed dating last night.

I should probably preface this by saying that the idea came about late one night after Lucy returned from a disastrous first date. She could write a book about her awful experiences. So in an effort to cheer her up, Mary threw out the idea of online dating and I suggested speed dating. Sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands. A few days later, there was a Groupon for speed dating and the ball was set in motion. We agreed that we would go purely for the experience and great stories that were sure to come out of it.

So last night, we met up after work for a quick drink before heading to the restaurant. When we got there, we checked in and were given name tags, numbers, and a scorecard. I felt like we were playing a game, which I guess we kind of were. The rules: 3 minutes at each table, 31 rotations. Ready, set, go. 

Clearly, I took a lot of notes.

It was a riot. Some guys took it way too seriously. Others were just there for kicks and giggles like we were. Some times the 3 minutes flew by and other times the timer could not go off fast enough. 

Lucy and I sat on opposite sides of the room, so halfway through I started meeting guys she'd started with. I think we threw them off with our similarities: same name, address, home state, alma mater, and hair color. One guy asked me to put in a good word for him. 

Some were creative with their questions, others just wanted to know where I worked, how long I've been in DC, and what I did for fun. Apparently, I need to come up with more interesting hobbies. 

Overall, I was highly entertained. Would I do it again? Probably not. But I think everyone should give it a try at least once. By the end of the night, I was exhausted. Having to be on your A game while meeting 31 guys is tiring. Lucy summed it up perfectly by saying "maximum effort, minimal results." But then again, I've already received one follow up message so who knows...