( inspired by a post from @alexsupertramp )

Why would you stand someone up for a real, honest to goodness date?

I could just blame Tinder, but I think I'm too old to even get the point of that...and the Tinderisation of the world could be a blog all of it's own. Save to say that human nature is constantly looking for new ways to do the same things with the least amount of effort.

And this is where dating comes into it. It may just be a symptom of our age of instant gratification and everything expected on demand that people still get stood up for dates. Whether it's true or not, I'm saddened that good people increasingly get treated like they are disposable.

If someone has decided that they want to go on a date with you, you owe it to them to be there. Some advice - finding love is hard, and keeping it is even harder. Love costs. It takes effort, work, sacrifice and compromise. If you have experienced it, you will know what I mean for better or worse. If you haven't, it may surprise you to find out how much it takes to maintain.

If you stand someone up for a date ( especially a first date ) , imagine what that says about your willingness to pursue a relationship? It says you don't care, and that you won't be there when it counts.

And in my experience, being there for both the good and the bad makes up about 90% of a relationship. You won't ever get to pick and choose the things that matter...and you can't avoid getting hurt just by running away. I lost my first love, a genuine love at first sight, because I wasn't able to be there when she needed me most. For the record, the hurt of that still burns nearly a decade on.

I believe in dating. I think it shows courage on both sides - the courage of a man to ask in the first place, and a woman's courage to actually agree to it. And if you want it to work out, and make something special, it's up to you to show that courage.