Speed-dating

I guess for me life is about growth, and sometimes in order to grow, I have to leave my comfort zone and try different things. Anyway, that's what I was telling myself as I went to a speed-dating event in Leicester square, with a group of friends yesterday evening.

So anywayz, the format - ladies are seated at tables while the guys rotate their way around each ladies table. With 3 minutes allowed for each 'date'. At the end of each date, you mark your score-card accordingly, are you interested or not, or have you found a potential friend. The day after the event, it's up to you to enter your scores online and wait to see if you have a potential match.

Personally, I think the format's great. Shame about some of the guys! But, generally speaking, after much thought and consideration, I have come to realise that a relationship must be based on the 3-c's. And they are:

1) Chemistry
2) Compatibility
3) Communication

And one out of three ain't enough. Think about it in terms of friendship. The friends you have, are probably your friends because you have shared interests, common values and a similar outlook on life. And now think about the friends that didn't make it. More often than not friendships end because of a fundamental difference in attitudes. And it's the same in love isn't it? Those that didn't stand the test of time, didn't share your interests, have your values and weren't standing on the same vantage point as you. A successful relationship must be grounded in friendship in-order to have any chance of success.

So maybe, 3 minutes is all the time you need to gage whether you're compatible with someone or not. Compared to the time we often waste in relationships with people who never really make the grade, 3 minutes seems like a good investment.