Welcome to the new generation.

A few weeks ago, my grandpa came down to visit me in small town, South Carolina.

I love it when I get to see my grandparents - they are so on the same page as me.

I'm an old school kind of girl, conservative - keepin' it classy. you know.

So we decided to go to Subway for lunch, one of the few restaurants in my town.

yes, I just called Subway a restaurant.

and yes, it is connected to a gas station.

On the way home from Subway, Papa looks at me. He says, "Alright Marj, let's get down to business."

And I couldn't tell you what went through my head as he said this. What kind of business??

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

ohhh. that kind of business.

"No." I told him. "I don't."

He said, "Why not?" I gave him that same old same old... I just can't find anybody I can put up with.

He says, "Well, are you dating anybody? Do you go on dates?"

I wanted to say, "A date? Papa, what is a date?"

Seriously, this generation is not a dating generation.

Is it because we're all broke? Is it because we're all insecure? Is it because nobody wants to man up and ask the other person out?

I read this quote in one of my books one time and wrote it down because I loved it so much:

"Guys today appear to be gutless, and it takes far too much hinting to get them to wake up. Basically this is an indication that their masculine character has been watered down. We want MEN back! Not the androgynous creatures created by our godless environment." - Catherine

I don't remember which book it came out of, unfortunately. But it made me laugh.

I think this is pretty funny, fairly sad, and relatively true. Our society has watered down the role of men.

But that's a different topic for a different time. I could go on and on with my feelings on that. From a conservative stand point, which would drive half of you up the wall.

Back on topic.. I don't think I've ever been on a real date.

These days, if you are "dating" someone, you generally hang out at their house, or go to a party together.

You rarely go out one-on-one. That is only special occasions.

But before you get asked to go to a party, or asked to come hang out at the house, you have to pass the texting test.

He'll text you, and if he likes talking to you, he'll text you again a couple days later. If he still likes talking to you, he'll start texting about every night, at the same time, every night.

If you continue to text each other, after a while he will text you "Hey, we should hang out." This is when you do the happy dance because the past week of aggravating texts and struggling to find a response to "yeah." and "lol" have finally paid off.

And you'll go hang out. And if enjoys your company, he'll text you the next weekend, "Do you wanna go do this?"

And it just grows from there.

Eventually Valentine's Day or your birthday will come and he will be forced to take you on a date. But that involves putting up with somebody for that long.

Which, I, have not been able to do.

BUT, instead of going through all of this with my grandpa, since we were almost home. I just simply said, "No, I haven't been dating anyone."