First Date Etiquette?

A little advice for men on what to do on a first date.

1) When we agree to meet, if we don't meet through mutual friends, assume that I'm going to want to meet in public and minimize the amount of personal information I give you. That's just smart behavior for females. I don't want to give you my email address, cell phone number, tell you where I live, tell you where I work, or anything else that would give you the opportunity to find me again if we don't get along. Sorry, that's just the reality of today's world.

2) When we do meet, you don't need to pay. I know that's the male way, but really, you don't. At 47, I can pay for my own meal. And it's easier than trying to "pretend" to pull out my wallet and either offend you for trying to pay or pay my way. I split the bill with most of my friends when we go out. Why should a first date be any different? I don't really know you yet. Just go with the flow, okay?

3) Don't make sexual jokes on a first date. People who know me well can make those kinds of jokes. But you don't, and honestly, most women find that kind of thing offensive unless we know the crowd well. And especially, and this I really mean, don't take something I say innocently and make it into a sexual thing. Again, that's the kind of thing that people do when they know each other well. I'm not a prude. But it's really not cool to go there so early in a relationship. Ever.

4) Keep up your side of the conversation. I want to get to know you as much as you want to get to know me. But don't dominate the conversation. It's called a conversation for a reason. We both get to talk.

5) Don't try to kiss me goodbye unless we've really hit it off. I know they say you need to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince, but kissing is also a very personal thing. Kissing is actually one of the things I miss most about not having a man in my life. So, no, I don't really want to kiss just anyone.

Other than that, let's just chat and see what happens. You just never know. Maybe we won't hit it off. Maybe we will. That's what first dates are all about.