Link of the day: Baby boomer dating guide!

I'm a little older today so maybe it's time for me to start dating like a baby boomer... only kidding!

I read this article on a whim and realized it offered good advice to anyone, not just a baby boomer trying to date again. Take me for example. I love meeting new people and getting to know them; however I'm a natural introvert and am horrible at doing being friendly and out going with strangers. I become nervous and timid and assume I'm bothering or intruding on the other person. Over time I'm incrementally improving in my ability to meet new people and not freak out. It is a far from natural act though.

I think this article offers a couple of practical ideas on the hardest part of meeting someone new, how to start a conversation. My typical strategy was to stare at the person nervously like I was on a dusty street in an old western waiting for them to reach for their gun first. If I was feeling especially extroverted I might throw out a safe, close-ended question which nets a one word answer and a nice meeting you handshake as we both forget each other's names. You know the kind I'm talking about, in college it was what dorm do you live in and what's your major. Now it is where did you go to school and where do you work.

I believe most people are as nervous as I was and are waiting for someone to break the ice. Some people are true misanthropes but in general everyone likes meeting a friendly person. I have to continually remind myself of that though.

Open ended questions are a great way start a relaxed conversation and allow both of you to get a read on each other. You both get to talk about things that interest you and share a little bit without it feeling too forced. I especially liked #2, 4 & 5. One that wasn't listed that I've had success with is "what do you do for fun".

How do you approach meeting new people? Do you think about it all or just allow what happens to naturally develop? Do you have a strategy or are you a natural people person? How do you handle different environments? Do you have any great open ended questions?