Proof You Can Find Love Online

I am writing in regards to the negative aspects always portrayed by the media dealing with people meeting on the internet. My fiance and I are sick and tired of hearing about all the negative stories and we are living proof that the internet can be a WONDERFUL way to meet!!

I "met" my fiance, Angie, last August 26 on a Monday afternoon while I was surfing the internet on my lunch break. A friend of mine at work had introduced me to different "chat rooms", but I wasn't too interested in them because it was mostly teenage kids and I was 24 - and not a perverted child molestering murderer like the stereotype is becoming - so I just happened to stumble across a cute sounding girl named "countryQTpie" in one of these rooms and we started talking back-and-forth. I was very interested in her and it was "safe" because if we didn't get along we could just "click-out" of the chat room. This led to "private messages" and later "revealing" our true identity by sharing our email addresses.

We continued to be interested in what each other had to say - it was sort of penpal-ish. After about a week she suggested I call her. My heart started pounding furiously!! I was very nervous but mustered up the courage to call her. The moment I heard her soft, beautiful voice I knew I had to meet her for real...

...coincidentally, she was located one hour from where I grew up and from where I had just recently moved away!! We made plans to meet at Thanksgiving when I went back home to see my parents, family, and friends. The 3 monthes we spent apart before we were to meet in person were very special to us. We REALLY got to know each other for who we are on the inside and what our values, beliefs, and attitudes are - the true foundation of any successful, long-lasting relationship - where if we had met in person at first we may have never gotten to know each other at such a deep level becuase we might have played victim to the superficial things that undoubtedly influence people.

Upon meeting in person it was truly wonderful - we had each developed feelings for this person on the other end of the phone and now it was real!! We had a great time at Thanksgiving and arranged to be together for 3 weeks at Christmas and her to come here to Phoenix, AZ for a week at spring break. The time we've spent together has been very enjoyable and precious to us both - we get along great in "real life" just as we had before on the phone or email.

In less than a month Angie will be moving here and attending Arizona State University in the fall. My parents and friends adore her as much as I do and her parents and friends enjoy me too. We both feel so very fortunate and blessed by God that we found each other.

We realize it's not a very traditional way to meet and our family and friends were skeptical - some very - and even we were to a lesser degree but it's beacuse of the media that focus on the few isolated bad cases and not on the more numerous success stories like Angie and mine!!! If people could be educated that's its a great way to get to know somebody for who they REALLY are than alot more people in this world could be as happy as Angie and I are!! It can be a much more efficient way to meet somebody becuase you don't have to waste weeks or months going out in the traditional way only to discover someone is not what you're looking for and you don't have hinderences such as sex getting in the way, friends' opinions, or trying to act like something your not - you have nothing to gain meeting on the internet by pretending to be anybody but your true self - if somebody doesn't like you, you just click to another person and not waste months or years like I mentioned.

...although Angie and I have had sex and it's been wonderful, it was only after 3 months of getting to know each other for who we really are and if more couples were to do this there wouldn't be so many dissapointing breakups.

In closing, I hope you consider our case as testiment to the fact that "online romances" can be a wonderful way to meet somebody and the media should focus on positive stories like ours instead of the negative ones - like the media seems to do for any topic!!!

Sincerely, TOM

p.s. Angie and I will be married on August 2, 1997 and we can't wait to share the rest of our lives together and raise a family with strong, traditional values and morals but at the same time with open minds!!!!!