Unmatchable

One of the curiosities of being single amidst a sea of friends in long-term relationships is that some friends enjoy playing the matchmaker game. It's like a fun pet project for them. I recall one night when two female friends (both married) began to look at me with the level of scrutiny that one would reserve for a difficult math problem. After some whispered deliberation, one of them asked me, "What's your type?"

I don't necessarily mind. While they rarely develop into anything, I enjoy playing along with the matchmaker bit. I make a concerted effort to push myself to do things outside of my comfort zone on a semi-regular basis. (Granted, some days just stepping outside of my room qualifies as "outside of my comfort zone", so I'm not exactly bragging about cliff-diving here.)

Thing is, when a friend lays those opening words on me ("There's someone I think you should meet..."), I'm not contemplating the possibility of a serious relationship. I'm thinking that this blind match-up should be an interesting indication of how my friend sees me...

Oh, and there have been times when it's been really fucking disheartening...

THIS is the best they think I can do...?

Is THIS HORRIFYING VISION BEFORE ME some distorted funhouse reflection of how others see me...???

And it's also gone the other way, when I feel like the matchmaker has set me up with some poor girl who's way out of my league.

I'd like to get certain aspects of my life on better ground before even thinking about getting into a relationship. It sounds like an excuse but it's seriously not. And yet, these opportunities seem to materialize before me with increasing frequency (through friends, through chance encounters), and I sometimes can't help but entertain the possibility of... something more.