Man Dates - Ag sweet, you feel anxious and nervous

The advent of middle age moves a lot of men inadvertently and involuntarily into the area of man-dates.
What used to be rowdy, large group get together, transitions into ever smaller groups as guys get married and family life kicks in.
Chances are your very first man-date will be an accident.
Six of you arranged to meet. Four of you cancelled. Two of you felt awkward.
Your first real man-date.
Ag Sweet. You feel anxious and nervous.
To help you through this transition and allay any fears about your masculinity, here are the basic do's and don’ts about man-dating.

Going to see a movie is okay, but, it can't be art-house.
It has to be main stream.
Some cult classics like The Big Labowski or even The Blues Brothers are acceptable, but to be completely safe stick with something mainstream. There is a 75% chance your date is not into anything more sophisticated than a car chase and a shoot out. Think about him and keep him happy.
Going to see a movie might well be okay. Sharing popcorn definitely isn't. This is a mega big no-no.
Buy and eat your own popcorn.
Dipping into your date’s popcorn seriously mustn’t happen. There is too high a chance of awkward and accidental hand contact. Regardless of your open mind, this is a pressure situation. Just don't do it.
And don't offer to buy him anything either, certainly not on your first date anyway. Buy your own. Eat your own.
For obvious reasons I shouldn’t even need to mention slush-puppies and shared straws (think bumping foreheads over the same cup)

Meals before and after a movie are a tricky one.
It's okay to have a beer beforehand, probably even a burger. Coffee afterwards though, can be a little awkward and intimate. Especially if it’s late and the crown has thinned out.
Meeting for coffee before a movie though is no problem. But don't spoil it by ordering cake. Especially never (ever) share cake (or any meal for that matter).
I once had a man-date where we shared a slice of cake, and we only had a one fork. Very, VERY awkward.
Be careful how you sit. You can put him under a lot of pressure. Try not to, and never (ever) order anything for your date if he is not at the table. That’s his job. Not yours.
An important point to note is to avoid ambiance restaurants. Ideally you want to be hitting burger joints. The most sophisticated I would recommend would be a sushi bar. If you see candles. Leave pronto.

This brings us to another very important point.
Leaving at the end of the date.
Avoid the awkwardness of saying good-bye in the car park. Leave separately from the cinema or wherever you are and head off in your own direction. Immediately.
Trust me. Nothing is going to be more awkward than standing in front of each other in a deserted parking lot, wondering how to say goodbye.
A casual hand slap - handshake combination as you leave, with a greeting thrown over your shoulder is where you want to be at. Not staring awkwardly at each other standing next to the front door of his car.

Take it easy. Don’t rush things. There will be plenty of future dates.