Dr. Date

Dear Dr. Date,
There’s a grad student that I’ve gotten to know, and I think I like him. He’s 30, and I’m 22. While I believe that’s socially acceptable, I’m a little unsure of the age gap. Still, he’s cute and funny, etc. Should I still make a move or am I being immature?
—Half Plus Seven?

You Down With DOB?
For the uninitiated, the “half plus seven” rule states that a man’s best age range for dating a woman is reached by dividing his own age by two and adding seven years. While this doctrine has I’m sure been the best friend of misogynists and 80 year olds alike, it’s certainly not part of the Doctor’s prescription.
Your situation, however, doesn’t necessarily have to be invalidated by that rule of dumb’s short comings. Just as I cannot tell if this guy is right for you by his age, you should not assume he isn’t because of it. Love has no age requirements. The law, thankfully, does — but you guys are just fine there, and honestly, 30-to-22 isn’t that weird. Essentially, the only thing I can tell you based on what you’ve given me is that, on whatever you base your trepidations or attractions to this man, don’t let his D.O.B. be it.
—Dr. Date

Dr. Date,
I think I need a reality check! There was this amazingly cute girl I had never seen before wandering campus yesterday and she really caught my eye, needless to say. Just as I got up the courage to talk to her after about 2 to 3 minutes, she left! So I um ... kind of followed her to her class.
Now I’ve got half my friends telling me that’s charming and the other half thinking it’s creepy. What do you say, Dr. Date? If you saw someone, whom for whatever reason (through body language or whatever), you thought would click with you, would you do something a little inept? I’ve worked out one thing. If I ever approach her she will either think I am very sweet or a total nutball. (Which I may be, but not in a creepy way ... )
—Creepy or Charming?

Dude Who Followed Chick To Class,
I’m tempted to call this cat-and-mouse game romantic, but you’ve lost me on a couple levels.
First, your reckless use of exclamation points and general diction lead me to believe that you aren’t the type of guy who coolly follows a lady with confidence and bravado, but rather are the type that nips at her heels like a puppy insisting “Where are you going? Can I come?”
In that respect, I’m going to have to join the half of your friends on the “you’re a total nutball” team.
But hope is not all lost, my young Benjamin Braddock. Girls like to be chased (to a degree, all ye stalkers), so you may have flattered her. You say you “clicked.”
How did you “click?” Has a wink been exchanged? Did she meet your eyes and bashfully turn them to the ground?
Either way, I don’t think chasing her to class is the way to go about it. What were you going to do, anyway? “Excuse me, professor Thompson, while we’re on the topic of the mathematical coincidence of rational approximants, I would like to say that I really clicked with the brunette in the seventh row.”
That ain’t it, my friend. If you see her again on campus (and don’t stake out a tree for her), you could certainly approach her with a goofy self awareness about how you think she’s pretty and you even thought about (say this) following her to class one day, but didn’t do that because you aren’t a total nutball.
—Dr. Date

Dear Doc,
Are there signs a boy makes when he no longer seems to be into a relationship?
—Nervous Nelly

Nelly,
Open-eyed kisses. Rolling over and sleeping on the side not facing you before midnight. Saying he’s tired. Saying he’s sick. Not wanting to have sex for any reason more than two nights in a row. Never being the one to initiate physical contact. Never being the one to suggest that you hang out. Never inviting you over to his house. Giving you gifts for no reason whatsoever and frumping his lips and looking at you with gravitas when he gives them to you. Tilting his phone away from you when he texts. Saying things like “Baby, no matter what happens, you’ll always be my girl” or “I’ve had a lot of fun with you over the years” or “I just need to be alone for awhile.”
Are you paranoid yet? Sorry, you asked for it.
—Dr. Date