Blind Date

After being set up, and despite a couple of wardrobe malfunctions, Kerry and Neal Goren found that they were meant to be together. They are pictured at their 1995 wedding.

When I was a 32-year-old single professional living in Dallas, my New Year’s Eve date called to say she had decided to go out with another guy to ring in 1993. I felt alone, down that all my friends were either dating or married. After relaying this misfortune to my boss, she set out on a mission to remedy the situation. She called me into her office the next morning and proudly proclaimed that she had found me a wife.

Handing me a copy of the Dallas Observer, my boss/matchmaker pointed to a headline in the personal classifieds: “Single Sexy Jewish Female.” I was further instructed to use her super-sized cellular telephone to call the number listed. As cell reception was poor then in downtown high-rises, I proceeded to follow her instructions and made the call from atop our parking garage. 

Later that night, I received a return call from the “Single Sexy Jewish Female.” Not one to have ever been a fan of talking on the telephone, I was responding to her comments every few seconds with an “uh-huh,” not quite listening to what she was saying. Finally, something caught my ear. “It’s really good that you’re okay with that,” she said. I started to wonder what I was okay with. “My job,” she continued. “What was it you said you did, again?” I asked. Her answer was loud and clear. “I’m a stripper.”

Now that I knew she was single, sexy, Jewish and a stripper, I wasted no time in setting up a lunch date. We met, and I quickly realized that I would not pay money to see her perform her office duties. As we started talking about friends we, surprisingly, had in common, I had to admit that this matchmaking idea was not one I could embrace. It took 20 years before I’d consent to another blind date, and while I remain open to matchmaking, I still do not like talking on the telephone.

Not all set ups are as unsuccessful as my stripper date.

Buzz residents Neal and Kerry Goren were fixed up by Kerry’s sister-in-law. After agreeing to go out together, Neal picked Kerry up in his shiny red Camry station wagon. Neal flew remote-controlled airplanes as a hobby, so this type of vehicle was most convenient for his needs. While Kerry was surprised to find that her date, a single man with no children, drove a station wagon, they went out and agreed on a second date to the Renaissance Festival.

Thinking that nothing could be more surprising than his station wagon, Kerry was amazed, yet again, with Neal’s choice of attire for their second date. She opened her door to find him in bright white short-shorts too tight for his build, a red tie-dyed tank top, and tennis shoes with socks up past his calves. Kerry says she tried to remain calm, but she was curt and unhappy, and Neal never seemed to catch on.

Even though this was Neal’s second strike, Kerry figured he had worn his most comfortable attire for the festival and decided to go on a third date. However, when Neal once again arrived wearing the same shorts and tank top, she made no point of hiding her frustration. She politely told him that if he didn’t know why she was mad at him on their second date, he’d find out quickly if they did not stop by his place to change his clothes before going out. So, off they went to Neal’s place, and Kerry has been hand-picking his clothes ever since.

Now, almost 20 years later, they are still together, as husband and wife.

Another Buzz resident, Julie Lewis Scheinthal, says she will never forget being fixed up with a 6-foot-5-inch date. She stands all of 5 feet, 2 inches.

When she opened her door to find her blind date looking down at her, she became quite flustered and had to compose herself to even say hello. She invited him in, where they sat down in order to have more direct eye contact. Following a few moments of awkward conversation, they proceeded to go out to dinner.

And in the end, she married Steve Scheinthal, someone she would not need to use a step ladder in order to kiss goodnight. (To read about their life together, see this story.)

Editor’s note: Do you have any memorable-matchmaking stories to share? Comment below this story at thebuzzmagazines.com or email [email protected].