TURNING VIRTUAL LOVE INTO REAL-LIFE LOVE

Many people ask whether they should meet a cyber-interest for a live date. The story usually goes that they have been chatting with someone for a while and now want to meet.

Of course, the whole point of flirting online is to eventually find a match, meet him/her, and hopefully begin what could be a very promising relationship. However, what if you finally meet your love interest and that person doesn't live up to your expectations?

Obviously, you have to face the dears about doing this. As with talking over a CB radio or maintaining a great phone relationship, the fear is that when you meet in person, the magic will be gone. This is entirely possible. The person's physical characteristics may not be what you like: He may have less hair, she may be more full-figured. However, the advantage of meeting someone in person after you've developed some kind of contact or rapport online is just that. You may be able put aside the fact that he/she doesn't fit what is normally your "type." After all, you may have developed a close caring relationship before the physical ingredients got in the way. Besides, you could be in for a happy surprise -- there's nothing like the eyes of new lovers meeting.