Imaginary Lover

For some reason, the world is fascinated by the story that Manti Te’o, a Notre Dame football star, had a "relationship" with an "imaginary" girlfriend.  Their interaction consisted solely of email, texts and online chats.  The media calls this "a chilling deception" and "an epic hoax".  Was the young man the perpetrator of this elaborate story for personal aggrandizement or a hapless victim?  They question whether anyone could form a deep relationship with someone they had never met "in real life". 

News Flash.  Of Course this could happen and does everyday.  And one does not even need email, texts or a computer.  My folks "met" after Dad's brother suggested Dad write to a young Jewish woman he had met while stationed in faraway Washington state during World War II.  Snail mail letters were exchanged and the rest is history as they say.  Thanks to J-Date, Frumster, Match.com, ChristianMingle, eHarmony and a host of other dating sites, online relationships are now the norm for what I nostalgically term "courtship".

I feel this is a good thing.  Couples can connect based on common interests and beliefs without necessarily judging a potential partner on looks first and compatibility second.  At least that's what I'd like to believe. 

But perhaps like Manti Te'o, I can be fooled too...

;-)