Dating in Toronto is a bit rough. It seems that no one wants to commit and all of the dating apps and social media platforms only exacerbate the issue because there are endless distractions right in front of everyone at all times.
I’ve had my fair share of heartbreak over the past few years. A man I’m enjoying spending time with and who seems to be interested one minute, ghosts me for weeks, only to get in touch again, acting as if contact was constant. To him I say “Seriously? Adios. I know your game.”
After a decade enduring this repetitive dating game in Toronto, I found myself being driven to the airport in Ottawa by my father, who I confided in. He told me to be honest with myself about what I want and the perfect guy will come along.
As if fated, I boarded a WestJet flight back to Toronto and that perfect guy was assigned the seat directly next to me. We connected immediately, and are now inseparable. At the time Cody was employed in Alberta but was born and raised in Nova Scotia. Only two months into knowing one another, this man who captured my heart, moved to Toronto to be with me.
From day 1 I knew Cody was different from the men I had previously dated. I never expected such maturity and to feel so safe, especially because he is a few years younger than me. He had impressed me from the beginning and hasn’t stopped impressing.
One day, after Cody had made me a fantastic meal, (as he does every evening), we were enjoying wine in the kitchen when he tore a loose thread from my sweater and proceeded to wrap it around my ring finger, while asking me to marry him. I giggled, almost as a defense mechanism because I wanted it to be real, but also felt it could just be a joke. I said yes but laughed it off and we headed out for the evening, never to mention the moment again.
Until one day while watching an episode of The New Girl, Cody turned to me and said, “Really though, wanna marry me?” I could see he was serious. I smiled as he took a ring from my other finger and proposed with it. I said yes again and he suggested we go looking for a ring.
No rings were purchased, but talk of our engagement continued. My parents came to town the next weekend, and Cody shared that he wanted to be respectful and ask my dad for approval before putting a ring on my finger. While I was working, my dad went to our condo to get it appraised. Cody was there and shared his intentions, then later told me how my father came close to tears and expressed how rare it is for men these days to want commitment and be so respectful. My dad obviously gave his blessing and welcomed Cody to the family.
I arrived home later that day to my favourite meal- tacos and red wine- Cody was ready with the ring to ask the question again, this time, with the ring I chose. There is so much to be said for a man like him, a man who has totally demolished my negative perceptions.
I feel as though I have hit the jackpot but am trying to make sense of why some young men like Cody are so inherently good to women and others feed into my previous perception of males. Is it how he was raised? Possibly. Did I simply meet him at that “time to settle down” turning point in his life? Is it because he’s a small town boy?
One thing that makes a huge difference in how he and I connect in comparison to my past boyfriends is that Cody could not care less about social media. He is not steadily checking his Facebook- he had 89 unchecked notifications on his phone yesterday- He often even gently takes my phone when he sees I’m using it too much, and instead pulls me in to cuddle. He is always looking to truly connect with me and in a world where we are racing around distantly “connecting” on apps and gadgets, the real in-person closeness is what many are missing. I’m thrilled I’ve finally found it.
