How To 'Interview' Your Potential Date

Just a few days ago, I was thinking about how handy it would be for single people to have a set of questions they could submit to potential dates. You know, to find out if they’re on the same page, and learn about each others’ interests, and weed out weirdos. Mostly to weed out weirdos.

I was even going to write a humorous email to my girlfriends, suggesting that we put together a series of questions for just such an imaginary interview. But did you know that this handy tool already exists on a CatholicMatch profile?

An interview? There is such a thing?

Indeed there is. A CatholicMatch member can create an interview of up to 20 questions that other members can answer and submit. Any questions. Can't think of a question? There is a pre-determined list to choose from. The sky (and the good taste of the CatholicMatch administration, who could yank your membership for offensive creativity) is the limit.

Take that, eHarmony.

Seriously, I love this idea. I wish I’d had access to something like this years ago. So do most of my friends. It would really help to personalize the search, to ask the questions that we think are important. No two single people’s searches are exactly the same. One man’s weirdo is another man’s dream girl. I spoke to one CatholicMatch member who thought he might be perceived as a weirdo because he attends daily Mass. Some might consider that weird. Others (myself included) think it’s great.

So, given that there is a real live vehicle for CatholicMatch members to personalize their interviews, I sent a note out to my friends. I asked them to share with me some of the questions they could have asked in the past to avoid various unpleasant situations.

Here are a few of their suggested questions:

1. What does it mean to “work it out”?

a) talk through an idea or problem and come to a resolution,

b) the detox you do in hot yoga after a night of whiskey and cigars, or

c) when you call credit counselor to readjust your loan?

2. If I had just met you, and I were to tell you that I’m flying across the country the next day, would you

a) tell me to have a nice trip, or

b) follow me on the next flight and book a room in the same hotel?

3. Do you believe that God speaks to you?

a) not at all,

b) sometimes, in the depths of your heart, during prayer, or

c) daily, mostly about what other people should do?

4. During Mass do you...

a) look towards the altar, or

b) constantly swivel your head 180 degrees to check out every member of the opposite sex, everywhere, all the time?

5. What would be a good way to start a first date?

a) Pick your date up to take her to dinner,

b) meet your date at a cool local coffee shop, or

c) ask her to meet you at your place so that you can model the footie pajamas that your last girlfriend made for you?

6. Describe your relationship with your mother:

a) she’s a good woman who raised me well, so I love her and respect her and look out for her,

b) we’re very close and share all of our deepest thoughts and feelings,

c) we are not close at all and barely speak, or

d) wait a minute while I ask her.

7. If my brother points out that you have a big green dot on your forehead, do you...

a) thank him and wipe it off, or

b) launch into a long, elaborate pantomime of a space alien?

8. If you invite me and “the gang” up to your cabin for the weekend, how many invitations to “the gang” are you actually extending?

a) “They’re all coming! It’ll be great!”

b) “Hmmm. I invited them all. Weird how you’re the only one who could make it,” or

c) “Uhhhhh . . .”

Note that these are their questions. Yours would be different. And the answers you’re looking for might be different as well. Note also that these are women’s questions. Not being men, my contributing panelists and I are not quite so in tune with the pitfalls on that side of the dating equation. Some may be similar, others may not.

So I want to see your questions. What would you ask if you could ask anything? Keep it in good taste, of course, and be nice. No passive-aggressive jabs at others you know (or suspect) will read your comments. No using this as an opportunity to vent your hostility toward the opposite sex in general. (Although I suspect I will be hearing plenty from the “think it’s cool to impress a date with footie pajamas” crowds.)

Just share some questions you think you might put on your own interview. And then do it. Set up an interview. See what kind of response you get.

It might be kinda fun.