I hosted a social experiment last night called the “Meet Market”.

It was a glorified single mingle where 30-somethings and 40-somethings came together to meet each other.  The premise?  Instead of online dating (or virtual conversing via IM), people were encouraged to actually give human interaction a chance for once.  I mean, that sort of thing happens all the time, but not in a controlled situation.  With liquor.  Right?

Of course, people ate it up.

The inaugural event went relatively smoothly … meaning no one got slapped, groped or so drunk they puked off the balcony.

In a lot of ways, it was a sixth grade mixer all over again.  For a while, the boys were on one side of the room and the girls were on the other.  Fortunately for all genders, I was there to stir up the pot.  I relentlessly mocked, chastised and berated people who were standing as stiff as the rod that was up their ass. Since I was hosting, I was also able to scope out everyone’s mating rituals.  There were the tarted-up women who looked uncomfortable in clothes that were too tight and heels that were too severe.  Some of the guys were wearing so much cologne they had stink lines coming off them like Peanut‘s Pigpen.  Others were cool and aloof and flirted from afar. Everyone there could be categorized.  There were certain degrees of desperation, like the “serial conversationalist” who tried his best to shoehorn in on any lull in the banter.  One of my friends even went out and bought and entirely new ensemble seconds before the event.  He looked cool, but you could tell he was uncomfortable in his new threads.  At least he remembered to take the tags off. My favorites were the ones who turned to me for advice.  “See that guy over there?” asked one of the hopefuls.  “Do you think he’s making eyes at me?  Or am I insane?”  I said in my most no-nonsense voice, “He’s clearly making googley eyes at you.  Now you can go over and talk to him or you can cover yourself with leaves and hope he falls in.”  She got the memo and instigated dialogue.

Single people are everywhere.  Schools. Churches. Grocery stores. I can’t believe it took an event like Meet Market to bring people together.  Good thing it did though.  I’m hosting the next four events.  Just call me Matchmaker M2. (Or is that M3?)