This is a very introspective post. As a younger and single man, I felt that there was a need to test or gauge reciprocal interest from my dates with an end-of-the-date kiss. Back in that time-period the topic of consent was never really discussed because everyone was supposed to read everyone else's mind. With older eyes, I can see that this was a flawed approach.

I'm glad that communication is becoming the focal point of dating, something that would've taken off immense pressure for me in my younger years. If I liked my date it would've been so much easier to say "I would like to kiss you, is that ok" or even in some cases when a date 'jumped' on me I would've been able to say "I'm not ready to move that quickly but we can try later."

While on the surface it may sound weird to an old-timer like me, I welcome this improvement. The problem is, these ideas haven't reached a critical mass in the general population yet.