What can Tinder do for two Gen X’ers looking for love? Here’s our success story!
Him: Adam was married for 22 years to his college sweetheart. Two daughters, one of whom survived childhood leukemia. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t.
Her: Karen was married for 24 years to her college sweetheart. A daughter, a son, and oops… a gay husband. Some things truly are deal-breakers.
On Friday July 29, 2016, after Karen had finally broken up with her rebound-turned-FWB guy of 17 months, she went on Tinder and spotted a cute guy whose profile she had never seen. A really cute guy. Who happened to have the same first name as her ex-husband. As a policy, Karen didn’t date guys named Adam. But this one was oh so attractive.
Karen, while scanning his Tinder profile, noticed they had one friend in common from Facebook. She contacted that friend to ask if this guy was worthy of breaking her embargo on dating guys named Adam. Their friend gave Adam a huge thumbs-up … said he was honest, salt-of-the-earth and decent. Karen decided to go ahead and swipe right… after all, if it turned out he was a jerk, she could always disconnect.
Just 3 weeks earlier, Adam had ended his rebound relationship. He’d met that woman through a common acquaintance and they became good friends… more than good friends, but after 6 months it became clear they weren’t meant to be. Suddenly, Adam found himself on the dating market for the first time in more than 25 years. It was intimidating, of course, but his friends urged him to put himself out there. As a Gen X’er whose last dating experience took place in the 80’s, the idea of meeting a love interest through an app instead of in person was completely foreign and a bit scary. But, he had to start somewhere, so he decided to give it a go and went on Tinder for the first time.
At first, it seemed awkward flipping through different women like he was shopping for a new pair of shades. Inevitably, he came across an attractive woman with similar interests. “Wow, she’s pretty cute!” Swipe right. It’s a Match! “She seems cool, too!” Swipe right. It’s a Match! Not knowing exactly how to use the app, Adam swiped right on virtually every cute girl he saw and within a couple days had over 90 connections.
The response was exhilarating, exciting and somewhat overwhelming, “This is going to be like finding a needle in haystack,” he thought. And then there was Karen. “Whoa!” Swipe right. It’s a Match! Something about Karen stood out to Adam that silenced all the other noise in its tracks … something that went well beyond physical attraction and similar interests.
Before long, Karen sent the initial text message on a Friday night. Adam responded the next morning. The conversation was instantly natural, easy. So easy that by Sunday at noon, they were meeting for their first date.
At a cozy patio table they shared a platter of ceviche and chatted effortlessly. Quickly, they discovered they had both lived with their former spouses in the same apartment complex 4 states away at the exact same time over 24 years earlier. And, in 2012 while Adam’s daughter was in the hospital for long periods receiving treatment for leukemia, her favorite way to pass the time was using video games and equipment donated to the children’s hospital as part of Karen’s son’s Bar Mitzvah project. Both Karen and Adam had amicable splits and maintained healthy relationships with their former spouses. The chemistry was tangible and their connection was instantaneous. Something truly magical had happened!
Being a little newer to using dating technology, Adam was a little sheepish about the way they met. Karen, having been on Tinder for awhile, took it all in stride.
They spent all week, texting and getting to know each other, and the next date was the following Friday night watching the Opening Ceremonies for the Summer Olympics in Rio together. After that, things quickly heated up, and within 3 weeks, both deactivated their Tinder accounts. (Sorry Tinder!) By the end of the year, Karen and Adam had introduced each other to their children, parents, siblings, family and friends. Everybody gave them a green light. In fact, after meeting him the first time, Karen’s daughter, who was a rather tough customer regarding her mom’s previous relationship, immediately said Adam was great, she should marry him, and she would love to have him for a step-father. Even their former spouses grew to like and respect the couple’s new significant others, and the feeling is mutual.
Almost a year to the date they met, Adam moved into Karen’s house, right before her son left for his freshman year in college. And then on Valentine’s Day 2018, while on a romantic getaway, Adam took Karen to a romantic, magnificent overlook of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city of San Francisco, got down on one knee and proposed. He asked some strangers to take photos of the proposal, and one man filmed the whole thing which is now memorialized on social media.
The wedding date has been set for September 2, 2018, which is the 83rd wedding anniversary of Karen’s paternal grandparents. Some things are truly meant to be, and love has come full circle.
Without Tinder, Karen and Adam most likely would never have met.
Thank you Tinder, from the bottom of our hearts!
Karen & Adam Forever 🙂 <3