h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What odd things.

For those of us who are relationship-deficient, personal ads tend to have a 'last chance' feel about them. Would anyone really consider becoming involved with someone based on a few words? Would anyone really consider becoming involved with someone who took out a personal ad?

I've never placed an ad. I've never responded to an ad. I do read the personals section of the paper every now and then, just to see how people present themselves in so few words. I suppose that if, one day, I read an ad that really made me want to get to know that person, I would respond.

Then I got to thinking... What would my ad be like? How can I describe who I am and what I'm looking for in one sentence? It's a very difficult process. This is what I came up with:

Post Gen-X, 00's guy seeks witty female for discussion about everything and nothing.

So there. It's posted. Probably as posted as it's ever going to get.

What do you think?

Never posted one, probably because I wouldn't have a clue what to put down...but I do agree, they make interesting reading. It is a particularily daunting challenge - make yourself appealing to a stranger in, say, 20 words.

Exactly!

And, I think, the hardest part is to make yourself sound interesting to someone YOU would find interesting. I'm sure if you posted a personal ad citing FREE BEER that you would get replies... but how likely is it that the replyers are the sort of people you would want to get to know.

So with all this in mind... what would you (or anyone else) write in their personal ad?

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever given myself, since being on the lookout for a potential mate, was, 'be how you would want someone to want you to be.' Please note the not-so-subtle distinction between that and, 'be how they want you to be.'

So let's see them everyone... thought out, real person, personal ads.

Overweight middle-aged Englishwoman seeks rich male geisha