Making a Good Impression

A good first impression isn't necessary in order to begin a fruitful relationship, but it sure helps! I hope that all my trial and error with making a good impression can put someone on the right foot. You don't have to change yourself to make an impact on someone, you just have to care enough to do your best.

Some people seem confused by this so I'll clarify here: All comments signed with a "-T" are from my boyfriend Terry, he is watching the channel while I'm on vacation. Sorry if this has caused you any grief.

Comment Inspired Additions to the List of Good Behaviours:

1. Know Your Surroundings
One of our viewers, Milana, made the great point that it is important to take your audience into consideration. That story about your boyfriend's butt-hole might make your friend laugh, but her Mom might is starting to get a little uncomfortable.

2. I'm Shy... What do I do?
It's hard to teach a shy person to be less shy. It's kinda something you have to teach yourself. That said, think about why you're shy in the first place. Perhaps, like many others you're anxious about making a humiliating mistake. Mix ups in conversations rarely ever have the ill-effects they have in teenage rom-coms: the boy of your dreams asks where you should get together and you say, "I thought we could meet up at the fart. Er... Park!" fart "Oh my God!" And then you run away and everyone in school calls you "Fart Park" for the rest of your life. THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. Trust me. Sure you might fumble your words, but the consequences of that are far better than they will be if you don't challenge yourself to get out there and be somebawdy!
Another important thing to think about is that while you're quietly sitting there being shy, other people are wondering what you're thinking. And if you're quiet for long enough, they are going to start assuming that you're thinking: "I'm too good for this. All these people are losers." AND THEN, they will start to get self-conscious and act out by labeling you as "rude". Ironically, while you're shyly avoiding making a bad impression, everyone is getting a bad impression.

3. I'm Terrible With Names
The ol' "I'm terrible with names" line is a classic, but don't let it make you complacent when it comes to getting better at learning names! Keep trying! Using that name as much as you can as soon as you know it is a really good tip. "Hi, I'm Kassie!" - "Nice to meet you, Kassie. I'm Terry. So, how many ostriches did you say you own, Kassie?" It might sound odd, but people like hearing their names from strangers, so they aren't going to be worried about how it sounds and once you've said the name a few times, you will have a much harder time forgetting it.
It's also worth mentioning that your 'forgetfulness' might not be something that you want to advertise to your boyfriend's parents or someone interviewing you for a job, so it's probably best to just get better at learning names than to use the "I'm bad at it" line (as great as it is).

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