Will My Blog Actually Ruin My Dating Life?

Is Elevator Dude--and every other guy I meet this year!--going to be too freaked out by the blog to actually get into a relationship with me?

Lovelies:

A reader wrote in yesterday--anonymously--to say: "Maura! Aren't you worried that any guy you go out on a date with--like Elevator Man--will google you, see your blog, realize HE is being written about ... and run for the hills???"

And the fact is ... I AM worried about that. Very, very worried. In fact, Elevator Man and I are currently trying to figure out when we'll have dinner, and every time there is a lapse in communication, I think: "Whelp, that's it, he's read the blog, he's terrified, and I'll never hear from him again."

Particularly because ... a while back, I went out with a guywho told me he'd dated a woman who blogged for Nerve--and that when he asked her not to blog about their relationship, she broke up with him!

Particularly because ... the other day, when I asked my friend Harry Berkeley* how he would feel if he found out a girl was a dating blogger, he flat out said: "I'd completely lose interest in her, no matter how cool she was."

Particularly because ... if the tables were turned, and I met a guy as honest and confessional as myself, and HE was a dating blogger, maybe I'd feel weird about it myself.

On the other hand, I'd probably only feel weird if he seemed mean-spirited--and why would I be interested in someone like that, anyway?

What's more, some dudes--like my ex-BF Jake Stein--get a kick out of seeing their names in lights (or, at least, in pixels).

And The Russian was actually really into the blog, and said that if we'd gotten into a relationship, he would've been quite excited about encouraging me to be as revealing as possible on it! (Of course, I get the feeling he was a bit of an exhibitionist ... but anyway ...)

And The Elevator Man--who is a writer himself, and figured out almost immediately I was a dating blogger--told me it sounded like a pretty cool job, and that he himself had been thinking he'd like to do something similar. So maybe he understands. Maybe he gets it.

That doesn't mean I don't think this is going to be interesting terrain to try to navigate. (And by "interesting" I mean completely freaking scary. By "interesting," I mean: This blog could very well come between me and the best man I'll ever find!)

At the same time, I'm confident--who me? confident?--well, yes, I'm confident that I'll figure out a way to handle all this. Maybe, readers, I'll have to say to you: "Look, for the sake of this growing relationship, I'm going to keep quiet about this thing for a week or two." (How would you feel about that?) Or, maybe, I'll be perfectly honest with you--and with the man in question--and the honesty will actually be great for everyone involved ... ?

Hmm.

Well, we'll see what happens as this story--and my life--progresses ...

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*Porn-star name.