July 18, 2006

Does familiarity cause attraction?

I picked Mini Red up from camp and as we walked to our car there was this guy in the parking lot who was getting ready to play baseball. I couldn’t help but look at him. There was something familiar. There was an attraction. He looked too. Did he find me attractive or was it that familiar feeling too?

As I pulled out of my parking spot I looked back and he saw me looking… BUSTED!

As I drove away it came to me… Was I attracted to him or was it the familiarity factor? Or was it the familiarity that helped the attraction? Hmmmm?

I’ve been thinking about this concept all evening and I’ve come up with two similar examples:

1) I tend to find the men on match.com unappealing anymore (yes I do peruse it). I have seen a man on the street and then his match photo pops up in my head and nine times out of ten, I think, “Hmmm better in person”. Ok maybe six times out of ten.

2) I have gotten albums/tapes/cds (I know I’m aging myself here) and the first time I listen I am usually less than thrilled. But I go back and listen a week or two later and it’s familiar and I enjoy the albums/tapes/cds more and want to listen more.
So I’m still wondering about this attraction. The guy has aspects I’m attracted to… tall, goatee and I saw a tattoo on his arm as I was driving away. Wow that sounds funny now that I have it written out there. I mean goatees and tattoos are not a pre-requisite in my book. I guess they just give the air of “Bad-Boy". Bad-boys have definite sex appeal but many a women will tell you they aren’t keepers and will only get you into trouble.

I definitely prefer someone taller than my 5’7” but I have dated 5’9”. I just had to wear flats. A date’s height can change a whole outfit. If you have to wear flats then you have to wear an outfit to compliment it... To compliment me. To date a taller man allows me a wider range of outfits and to wear some of my favorite shoes that put me to about 5’11”.

Please don’t confuse me with some fashionista because that I definitely am not! I’m quite the opposite therefore I try to avoid obstacles when it comes to dressing and looking decent. Hence my closet is full of black, white and brown.

Over the past year I have made serious attempts to step up my fashion game. My hair has left the boring, flat, one length for some layers. I have weeded out the clunky shoes for more stylish pointy toed ones. Summertime I would prefer to live in my Teva flops or, even better, no shoes at all. Shhhh don’t tell my Chiropractor that one, he thinks everyone should wear orthopedic shoes 24/7. Sorry, I digressed. The flops would certainly allow for shorter dates but I have some great high heel boots for winter what do I do then?

Stepping up my game has been something my female co-workers became aware of and seemed to enjoy. The best compliment was when one of the other girls came in one day in this great outfit. When I complimented her she said she was trying to step up her game like I did. But she is married… has a man.

I’m not looking to be married, but if it happens so-be-it. It would be nice to find a dude who compliments me, or should I say completes me (yeah, I really just said that). Someone to hang out with, travel with do various things with and I think you know what I mean… wink wink. It would be nice to have some of that wink wink on a regular basis.

I know I know, some of you that know me are screaming “TOO MUCH INFORMATION!” But your still reading, aren’t you? Well I’m done now.