PLEASE DON'T LET THIS BE HER! A Comedian's Search for Love on the Internet

“Let’s have a warm welcome for Bobby Kelton.” Oh, by the way, that’s me. And that’s what Johnny Carson used to say, introducing me more than 20 times on “The Tonight Show.” To have appeared often on that incredibly successful late-night series was both an honor and a launch pad, from which I’ve built a 30-year career as a stand-up comic. I’ve been able to travel the world, making people laugh from London to Las Vegas. It’s all been good, except my parents want back the money they spent sending me to college.

One of the perks that I’ve enjoyed, by being on stage and in the public eye, has been the ability to date many wonderful women. I discovered that not only did I have an easy, sure-fire opening line, by inviting them to my show, but it also gave me an aura that had many girls approaching and flirting with me.

But with time, age, changing dynamics and perceptions, I found that it has become much harder to meet women, and especially ones that might be of relationship quality. Just like a struggling baseball pitcher, I had been relegated to the dating bullpen.

So like millions of others who have a computer and some free time, I decided to try online dating. Though skeptical at first, I began to see that it is just an alternative way to meet people. Millions are doing it and many find partners, or at least that’s what the ads say.

But what started out as an eager and anticipatory venture to find true love evolved into a series of ill-conceived dates, disappointing meetings, and communications screw-ups, topped by a plethora of strange behaviors. The most rewarding result of all this was my new-found ability to order any Starbucks drink available without even looking at the menu. When I told friends some of my bizarre dating episodes, I realized that they were actually very funny, and that my experiences could be informative and amusing to others on Internet dating, or indeed, any dating at all.

Thus, I began to write about my thoughts, fears, insights, and discoveries that led me to personal truths regarding not only dating on the Internet, but the larger picture of the journey to find true love. With each new experience, I could see that the search for love is, just like life itself, something to be able to laugh at and play with, knowing that “fate” is really the ultimate Cupid.

Thus, the mantra, “Please don’t let this be her” – which evolved from waiting for online dates at Starbucks – really was a harbinger of hope: the hope that someday, when perhaps I least expect it, I’ll say “Please let this be her.” And it will be.