People are paying $20K for fix-ups? Sign me up!
How much would you be willing to pay for the right relationship? If you're like most people, that number is pretty high. After all, what is more important than romance and love? Let's face it, without those things, no matter what else you have -- fame, fortune, material items -- it isn't really all that exciting.
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So, it comes as no surprise that men are paying $20,000 to let personal matchmakers set them up on dates with hand-selected women through Selective Search, a dating service in Chicago.
Men are asked to fill out 15 pages of information about their ideal mate. They answer questions on everything from her breast size to her skin tone and interests. Then one of the matchmakers takes that criteria and finds him his perfect match. This system has led to 1,221 marriages and 417 babies; 88 percent of the clients meet their eventual spouse in the first nine months.
It all makes perfect sense, too. After all, the best way to meet a mate is through people who know you both.
The fix-up gets a bad rap out in the world. I know some people who will refuse to set anyone up, but not me. I love, love, love to set people up and so does my husband. So far, we have set up one successful marriage, which produced two children. I like to think I'm partially responsible for their existence (ha!).
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My parents were also legendary in their fix-up prowess and had two or three couples that they set up get married.
Of course, when it goes wrong, it can go very wrong. Think broken hearts, lost friendships, people who kind of hate you a little for thinking they would be good with "that mess." But it's worth the risk.
There is nothing better than knowing you were able to share a little bit of your coupled happiness with two friends who also deserve to be happy. I think the world is divided into meddlers and non-meddlers. I'm definitely a meddler who likes to help my friends mend what is broken. Being single isn't being "broken," obviously, but it's nice to be happily coupled, and whatever I can do to facilitate that, I am happy to do!
This may just be my dream job.
Do you like to fix people up?
Image via he(art)geek/Flickr
Written by Sasha Brown-Worsham for CafeMom's blog, The Stir.
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