I see that i'm kind of reviving this thread before it vanishes into oblivion.
Although i am probably writing this mostly for my own amusement, i really would appreciate advice, encouragement and feedback. Especially from the "Silverbacks"
I also would like to see a brother in arms to swap stories.
Info about me: 36, completely out of the game for 3 years ( my dad passed away, had to take care of my mother, got new job(s), a lot of work, financial issues, the whole package ) Although i handled everything pretty well in my opinion and slowly things are starting to work out in my favor, i recently found myself in a slump. I lost focus on what I wanted, became somewhat depressive, gained weight. I lost the initiative. Had to react instead of act. Do you remember those hammer-games at the arcade? Where you have a big rubber hammer on a leash and a desk with holes in it in front of you? And every time something pops up out of a hole you hit to make it disappear just to have them popping up again faster and more often? (Don't know if these games have a particular name since they're not popular in Germany. But i remember them from my trips to the U.S.)
And that's basically how i felt during the last years.
Now that i have managed to dig out of my hole to some extent and gained some perspective, i want to refocus on becoming a more social and happy person again.
Never was much of ladies man in the past but i had my share, especially since i found ss about 6 years ago. Never did a boot camp. Just read articles and adopted some of the techniques and methods but gained a whole new view on women and on life in general ( and lost it again due to the mentioned circumstances )
Anyway:
In the last 8 weeks i managed to lose some weight, hit the gym, started swimming again, enrolled in a lot of evening classes ( another foreign language, massage techniques, self-employment for dummies, etc. Basically everything i am interested in learning, to fill my schedule and also to meet a lot of new people/women. Classes starting in October ) I am really getting my sh!t together and am feeling good about it. In every way but one. That's why i decided to do the boot camp.
Week 1 Day 1:
This was a lousy day to start the boot camp. I have to study hard because of some upcoming tests ( heading for a second degree ), have a cold and didn't get much sleep the last couple of nights. But since cop-outs and excuses are not an option anymore, i wanted to start this today no matter what.
Since i am not working my office-job today, i went for a swim at a public swimming facility ( is there a particular english term for this in the U.S.? I am not talking about "Wet'n'Wild" or "Raging Waters". Public, indoor, no fun, just swimming) At the entrance i walked into a girl, made eye contact and said "Hi!". 1 down, 49 to go. No big deal.
That was pretty much it for swimming because there weren't really that much people to meet and greet. Went home afterwards, got my books and studied for 3 hours. Then i went to the groceries and to the mall.
(To be honest, i don't have a problem looking most people in the eyes. I work part-time in a big company for almost 3 years with about 2500 employees at site. Because i hate the "big corporate world" and consider most employees as mindless zombies, lemmings and always wonder, how these people have managed to become that way. The Matrix at work! About a year ago i started to look everyone i see and meet during the day, directly into the eyes and say Hello, Hi, Good morning or whatever. And the results were shocking. Some people don't look back at me at all, don't greet back, most look to the floor and completely avoid eye contact. Some say Hi in a very nervous way. Some look like i am about to mug them or jump them. Women usually respond better than men. Men of age 50 and above who make 10 times the money i make, can't look in my eyes and say Hello. And the more i do this, the more i find it hilarious.
I really hate my job there, but it's a factor of steadiness with a regular paycheck until my other work starts to pay off, until i get my second degree and start my own biz in the near future. And i only work 3 days a week, so no problem.)
Anyway, at the mall i tried to make eye contact with a lot of people wandering around but only 3 ( girls about my age or younger ) looked back at me. No "Hi's" at all. Coward.
Only confirmed 1 Hi and confirmed 4 eye contacts isn't very much. I left the mall and saw that it has started raining again. At a red light i saw a cute asian chick with an umbrella waiting for the green light. So i went over to her, stood close to her, looked into her eyes and said "A little higher, please!" with a smile, looking at her umbrella since i had none. She smiled, lifted her umbrella a little higher so that i wouldn't get wet. When the lights turned green we crossed the street, i thanked her and left.
That makes 2 confirmed Hi's and 5 confirmed ECs. Not really much but at least a start. I am confident about the remaining 48 Hi's and 45 ECs. My real troubles will begin next week.
Note to myself: Don't stare at thugs, bada$$es or creeps and don't stare at their girlfriends as well. ( Had to break EC on 4 occasions out of fear of being shot or stabbed immediately )
By the way: When you look someone in the eye(s)? Since you can't look into both eyes at the same time, into which one do you look? From your view? I read an article saying that a look into the right/left eye will stimulate the right/left brain side, which is emotional/rational and as a tip you will want to look into the right/left eye of a girl you're interested in. But i didn't get it, because they didn't say from which persons view it was. Any thoughts on that?