47. Didn't. Stopped looking. If they exist they're going to have to walk in to me physically and be very obvious because I'm not even looking for signs any more.

On a dating app, shockingly enough. I'd been single for a year and not really social so I decided to check out an app just to see how it'd go. He pretty much did the same thing. Zero expectations. Zero hope, really.

We were in the same city. Liked a lot of the same games and movies. Talked for three months prior to meeting (in case one of us was a psycho killer-- safety first!).

We are on our sixteenth year and he's still the most interesting person on the planet.

By dating her best friend, having argument with said best friend, SO was the intermediary. Realized SO was the better of the of the 2 anyway so took her on a date along with 4 other of her friends. By end of evening, SO and I were in love.

My partner and I technically met through tinder. We went on a walk through a park the first time we met, but just didn't stay in touch. Several months later in December, they randomly added me on Snapchat and we started talking as casual friends. We started dating at the beginning of the month

Semi-blind date. We were setup by a friend of mine that worked with her.

At the time, I was not in a good place and really was not interested in dating. My plan was to meet her, go to dinner, go to a movie then disappear. Why didn't I just say "No" to the date? My friend is a former Navy SEAL and is not one to give up.... Ever. It was just easier for me to say "yes" to the date, go, then go back to my life.

Life had other plans. We met at Newport on the Levee, which is an entertainment/ Shopping complex located right on the Ohio river in Newport, KY. This was in 2004 and the complex was brand new and very popular. So when we exited the restaurant we discovered the line for the movie theater was literally out the door and that was on top of a back and forth line near the box office. So we decided to go to the Barnes and Nobles and get hot chocolate. Neither of us like coffee. We sat down and talked... For THREE hours. It was the best conversation I've ever had with another human being.

We've been together ever since and that was in 2004. We have two boys and live 400 miles away from the Cincinnati area now.

At the front door of the church we would wind up getting married in.

I was in seminary. It was the start of my second year and in two weeks I would be spending all my Sundays at my assigned parish for "field education." There was another parish that I enjoyed worshiping and a group of my fellow students were going to be there. So I took the Metro in, wound up walking in the wrong direction, after turning around I see this very pretty girl across the way as I waited for the cross-walk signal. I cross and wind up walking behind her.

I didn't want to come across as a creep, so I gave her some distance. I assumed she was a grad student at the nearby university heading toward her place. But I saw her go for one of the doors to the church, which didn't budge (apparently it was broken). Having been to the church before AND assuming that no cute girl my age would be a parishioner AND the general complexities of being a man prone to explaining things, I said "there's another door over here."

Stifling her urge to snarkily say "I know" she followed me in. We were both several minutes late. The choir was well into their infamous seven minute rendition of the Gloria. The pew in which my friends were positioned was full. So I was looking around. I happened to catch the girl's eye again and she gestured that I could sit with her. So I did and we awkwardly communicated various things until the end of the service. After the service we made small talk as we moved toward the clergy at the door and the requisite coffee following. Learned that we were both from the same state originally. She learned that I was in seminary (she had also assumed that I was a university student). She was lovely and smart and I was completely smitten. There was an obvious click for both of us.

And then I left. I said goodbye and that it was lovely to meet her. I did not ask her number. I only knew her first name. I did not want her thinking that I was only at church to troll for women. I figured that I would meet her again.

I called my mom. I said "I met my wife today." She asked if I had asked her for a date or anything. Nope.

Turned out that the following week a good friend of mine would be preaching at the same church. All of my friends told me I had to go back and see about this girl. Once I started field education I'd probably never see her again. So I did. And we closed out the post-church coffee time. We exchanged numbers. Went on our first date and wound up kissing in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial while "Taps" played softly on the air from Arlington.

Just shy of two years later we were married in that same church. We took photos in the pew where we first sat. It's been fifteen years and four kids later and I still thank God for turning the wrong direction out of that Metro station.

Although we are not formally engaged, we've been in love for a long time. We met each other in middle school on the telegram group of a YouTuber. It's been 10 years now 

Met my wife at a dungeon. Shot my shot at two women at the same time and the fool who thought it was charming even managed to get tricked into marriage.

Met my best friends by answering an ad looking for other lesbians to play d&d during the pandemic. Those of us who showed up and stayed wound up forming extremely strong friendships.

On Mondays my daughter visits and she noticed how many cats there are in my street so she started bringing cat treats. Now I have a rotation of about eight cats that regularly greet me as I leave or arrive. They know my car and the sound of the front door. It's added a surprising amount of joy to my life.

"Insane asylum", you know what i mean.

Met my now-wife on Omegle, and my dogs at the shelter. Which is just Omegle for dogs.

She hired me.

In the local pub. I was in my mid-30s. Now married with kids, mortgage and a dog. All I ever wanted tbh.

Say what you want about pubs and alcohol, but I'll take that encounter over a swipe on an app any day.

OK Cupid 10 years ago next week.

Met at a place called Freak Manor.

They sat on me nude while people drew on them with permanent markers.

Installed a package from an opensource repo

My college girlfriend claimed to have played a part in getting an IRC server set up on campus network, back when campus networks were brand new. Through that IRC server, I met the person who would later become my wife.

Joined my guild. Most expressive person I ever met, 10/10 over the top, so I dealt with that myself. Turns out I like very cheesy, took me years to get used though.