How do you approach someone you cannot see? How do you know if they are flirting with you? Are they leaning in for a kiss? Conor Smith unpacks the myriad of questions that come with navigating the dating world as a blind man.
Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this articleIt was a wet January; I was on a first date and my guide dog hadn't pooped in two days.In this instance, the date ended with a disorientated dog in search of a park, a run in with a kerbside pole, and a hurried goodbye in a taxi.How do you approach someone you cannot see?How do you know what their body language is giving off?
How do you know she's leaning in for a kiss, only to lift a pint to your lips and miss your chance because one of your senses doesn't want to be your wingman?Mr Smith with friends at the Red Cow Hotel in Penrith, Western Sydney. Most flirting is having the subtlety to plead plausible deniability if the other person does not feel the same.
While this is challenging for many people, it can be heightened when you cannot notice cues, let alone interpret them.In some ways, they are great levellers, as I can meet people from my own home by messaging them, and not a strange place that I may have never learned how to get to independently.Since losing my vision at age 12, I do not care about photos, and I have little use for taking selfies.
Especially when we know that through all the missed handshakes and guide dog misadventures, disability or not, we're just fumbling hands in the dating darkness, looking for our chance.