The View From My Knees

Hi, my name is Zephan . I was looking at your ad on Craigslist and thought I would send you a message. I like your profile and decided to write to you.

I’m a single who is fun that enjoys movies, music and a whole lot more. I moved up here to the Seattle area from Las Vegas after living there most of my life.It would be fun to meet you and see if we have things in common. The nice weather is coming and would like to go out and do some fun things.

I will leave it up to you to tell me a bit more about yourself and maybe we can take the step and talk on the phone and meet for coffee or a drink, write back and we can exchange pictures, have a good day, Zephan

Poor Stephan doesn’t appear to know the difference between an ad and a profile, and therefore has claimed to have seen both. Or did he create this message for one medium and end up using it on another without removing the telltale references? Either way, this is sloppy and an immediate turnoff.

The body of his email would have been okay if he’d paid closer attention to basic grammar. His ending, however, needs a lot of work. As a woman who has posted a personal ad or profile I have already done my part. Saying he will leave it up to me to tell him more about myself puts the burden back onto me, completely removing him from the conversation. Does he want another several paragraphs of me rambling about things he may or may not care about? Why doesn’t he ask specific questions to prompt a meaningful exchange of interests? There is no conversation killer like the old “tell me about yourself” line, whether it’s in an email or on a date. While it’s true that you may not know to ask your date about the time she and her girlfriend crashed an Elvis wedding in Vegas, it’s sure to come up while you’re discussing favorite vacation spots or stories of drunken antics.