Nobody Knows You're A Dog On the Internet

I received a very strange e-mail a couple of days ago. Some guy saw my photo on my Yahoo profile and sent me a "would like to get to know you" e-mail. Out of nowhere.

Now, this would be more believable if he lived in Tucson and had heard about me from friends. But this was a random pick-up. By a guy who lives in New Jersey. And is 44 years old!

What is it with men that a picture of a pretty girl can make them lose all sensibility? This guy doesn't know anything about me. He doesn't know whether I: like classical or rap, am a raging liberal or a head-banging conservative; am a druggie, smoker, alcoholic, teetotaler; dress like an elegant lady or a streetwalker . . . or anything in between those extremes. Doesn't know if the photo was taken in the past six months. (It wasn't.) Or even if the photo is of me. (It is.)

I'm too nice. I know I'm too nice. I sent him a note back and said I took issue with his age. He's 44 — I'm 56 and a grandmother (and proud of it, thank you very much). And even if I was interested in dating someone that much younger, I want someone at arm's length, not phone cord's length!

But really, let's talk about numbers here. Out of all the millions of people and profiles and photos and personal data on the Internet, how on God's green earth did this guy single me out? I'm all for serendipity, but this is ridiculous! I'm not buying serendipity on this one!! I think this one is more related to stupidity than serendipity.