"Looking for a running partner for early morning marathon training. Boardwalk area. Age, weight not an issue. Possibly going through a mid-life crisis as I've never done a 5K, but you only live once, hey?"
She re-read her bio again. Short and sweet, she thought. Probably a little nutty. Was that entirely appropriate, the last phrase? I mean, isn't one supposed to add likes and interests on a dating app? Expectations from potential relationships? Who looks for running partners on dating apps? Should she add, must have a sense oh humour, as a disclaimer? Was that too much?
She breathed in deeply, shook her head, put her hands on her face, and muttered, "I'm going to regret this." Then she hit save and publish.
When the responses kept trickling in though, she didn't regret it. Some of them were quite hilarious. A few were very serious and asked to meet her right away. There were a few awkward conversations but most of them tickled her fancy and she couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear when she took the train home on her commute.
Once in the train, she opened up her dating app again, now studying all her matches with a renewed interest, and analyzing some of their responses. She had a tendency to be quite critical of herself, as well as of others, but she told herself she mustn't fall down that rabbit hole again.
"Be kind to yourself," she repeated the phrase that her yoga teacher used was used onher students, especially to her, when she had difficulty perform any particular move.
"Be kind, be kind, be kind, just give it a shot, be kind, there are people who think you're funny and want to go out with you! Even for running!" She let out a little squeal of excitement, her heart giddy with enthusiasm, overpowering her usually persistent negative thoughts. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath to control herself.
BAM! CRASH!
She was so distracted and so immersed in happiness by the prospect of meeting someone hopeful, that she barely noticed the construction sounds around her, the bright orange pylons, nor the fact that there were no barriers around the the open manhole in front of her.
She fell right inside it.