The Fight of the Flirty Girl

With peanuts and crackerjacks in hand, you settle into your stadium seat ready to enjoy an evening of baseball. Around the 7^th inning, you become aware of a commotion around you. People are staring, screaming, clapping…at you. Out of the corner of your eye you notice your name in giant, neon letters, accompanied by the most daunting words on earth, “Will you marry me?”
 
Cute? No. Romantic? Definitely not. Funny? Only to the other spectators.
 
Big time public proposals are simply uncomfortable, both for the flabbergasted girl and for those who have the unfortunate pleasure of watching. Guys who go for this proposal type are just trying to bring attention to themselves. Either 1) they feel that there’s a possibility the girl may say no, so putting her in the spotlight may sway her decision, or 2) he’s so insecure that the crowd’s applause serves as some sort of pathetic reassurance.
 
Then of course there’s us, the blushing girlfriends who now have to make a decision in front of thousands of people. It’s only the rest of your life, right? No big deal. Personally, this would be a perfect indicator that this guy is not for me. With all eyes on you, naturally you’re going to feel pressure to say yes. Maybe this is why half of marriages end in divorce. I think I speak for all girls when I say that this is just a bad idea.
 
The next step in public proposals goes to fancy restaurants and other smaller venues. Even here I’d still err on the side of caution. Yes, a nice dinner is much more romantic, but that doesn’t stop the couple next to you from making your future the topic of their conversation. “Dinner and a show!” they’ll say. Once again, it does not give you an easy outlet to say no. I mean, you could just get up and leave, but that will draw even more attention to yourself.
 
A proposal is a special moment in a girl’s life. Despite efforts of boosting self-esteem, girls will always care, even if only a little bit, about what other people are thinking. Putting her on the spot will only make things worse. Small, intimate settings are the best places for such an important question. Besides, relationships exist between partners, not between them and the rest of the stadium.