Full disclosure: Online dating with a disability
I bring to you, my latest conundrum.
Recently, I decided to take the plunge and dive head first into Tinder, the popular mobile dating app.
Now I know that I'm a little late to the swipe-right soirée, but it seemed like as good a time as any to throw my hat in the online dating pool.
So with eager anticipation, I created my profile and started swiping away.
But after a couple weeks of using the app, the results were less than favorable. I only managed to get one total match since downloading the app.
To make matters worse, I didn't even get a response from the one girl I did match with. If anyone knows Kelly, 28, let her know I'm still waiting for a reply.
With the unfortunate results, I came to an interesting question; would I have fared any better if I didn't fully disclose my disability?
It's an interesting theory. If I just showed close up photos of me and didn't show my wheelchair, would I have gotten more right swipes?
I'm no expert, but if I saw "Gabe, 33, Journalist and graduate from ASU," it should warrant at least a profile view, right?
But as I gave it more thought, the more I was against it. I feel like it was just delaying the inevitable. I would rather the girl know what to expect instead of being blindsided by my wheelchair on a first date.
It just doesn't seem right to not at least mention it. My disability doesn't define me, but it's very much a part of me and has shaped me into who I am today.
While it hasn't garnered much success yet, I am glad I decided to show the whole me. I am comfortable with who I am and my disability.
If a girl is turned off by my disability, I would not hold it against her. It is a lifestyle that definitely takes getting used to and you can't get the full grasp of what that means in a single swipe.
So for now, I will continue to swipe and see what happens.
You never know, maybe Ms. (Swipe) right is just around the corner.