Like Cassie, I joined online dating. I did it back in 2013, just after New Year’s. I had just graduated with my master’s degree, and was about to begin a job as a full-time nanny. I’ve never been one to go out, especially by myself. In those instances I actually left the house after dark, it would be to sit in a friend’s living room drinking tea or beer or wine and chatting or watching Avatar: The Last Airbender or forcing another friend to take an online Myers-Briggs quiz.

In short: I probably wasn’t going to meet someone to date.

I already knew everyone in my friend groups. They were dating each other, or not interested, or not interested in women, generally. Besides that, I was already in the discernment process for ordained ministry, and knew I would have some big changes coming. Dating seemed…imprudent.

But then I made a New Year’s resolution to try new things, and I had a couple glasses of wine, and I no longer had a thesis to write, so I thought why not create an online dating profile?

It wasn’t perfect immediately (my worst mistake was trying to join a “Christian” site first), but I kept messaging someone, and then texting, and then we set up a first date at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and now he’s falling asleep next to me on the couch.

I know several people who met online and then made up a meet cute to tell friends and family. There’s less of a stigma around meeting online today, but it’s still not considered especially romantic. There are worse ways to meet (like the couple in this post who met at a Nickelback concert), but meeting online isn’t exactly something to brag about.

I couldn’t care less. I tell everyone who asks how we met that we met on OKCupid.

When we first met, we were living a block away from each other. A block. But we’re both introverts and we didn’t have mutual friends and we operated in different circles. If I hadn’t joined online dating, if OKCupid hadn’t decided we were a 94 percent match, if he hadn’t taken the risk of sending me a message, we would never have met. And, at the risk of making readers gag on syrupy, overused sentiments, being married to Josh really is the best thing that’s happened to me.

I joined online dating. And I know my experience is not universal, or even typical—I’ve read and heard plenty of horror stories that make me question my faith in humanity, and my husband and I are big fans of Catfish (I love Max!). But I also know that sometimes, for some people, it really works.

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