I want to say a massive thank you to all the wonderful elegant ladies that created and contribute to this wonderful page and community! YOU HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE.

Yesterday I went on my first date after FDS. After reading the FDS bible, I picked different guys. Any guys who were suggestive or asked me to go to inappropriate dates (drink, coffee shop etc) I rejected and moved on. I've carefully selected a few appropriate guys who suggested nice dates and I met one of them yesterday.

So he picked a posh restaurant to go to, opened doors for me and picked up the bill without even so much as a suggestion of anything otherwise. This was the kind of restaurant where they don't even put the bill in the middle of the table, they put in in front of the man.

As we were at this venue for a couple of hours, I watched other couples on first dates. One couple came in after us and were seated next to our table. It was a well dressed man in his 30s, handsome and tall and a shorter, curvaceous woman in clothing too casual for the venue. I heard during their conversation he asked her if her photos on her dating profile were recent (suggesting that she doesn't look like her photos). Their conversation didn't flow all too well and their date was short. The bill came and the waiter placed it in front of the guy. The guy paid it, while the girl made it clear that is what she expected as she didn't even acknowledge the bill when it came. She commanded respect through out the date. And he treated her respectfully and gentlemanly regardless, through out the date (except for the inappropriate comment earlier of course).

While I dont agree with her presentation, I loved her confidence and expectations of the man. Old me (pickmesha me) would have felt apologetic for the fact I wasn't what he expected, apologetic that I hadn't dressed up appropriately for the venue. I would have paid halves for the date, to make up for wasting his time and I'd have felt so rubbish and small after.

New FDS me, realises that is nonsense. He pays for the dates as he asked you out and its what is customary/normal/expected regardless of the circumstances. Men love to make us feel like we deserve less for whatever excuse they like to make. And if you let them - there will always be excuses (with LVM/NVM of course).

FDS has taught me that regardless of the circumstances, you must always expect to be treated with respect and never accept a thing less.

Thank you girls x