31 ~ Comfortable Silence

There are a lot of differences between guys and gals. Some are biological, some are cultural. None of them are rules, though some cross over more often than others.

I find gender stereotypes fun, because they give me insight into how different I am than other females raised in the same society. One of my favorite stories in this thread happened when I was about 15. My friend, Chris, lived with me and my family for about a month, because he'd been kicked out of his house for being gay. Rather, his stepfather beat him, and when I brought him home, both my father and Kaleb were home; Dad is a sucker for people in need of saving, and Kaleb is just as protective and violent as he. When they heard this story--mind you, I was only bringing him over for the night so he could have a place to stay! I was NOT trying to manipulate my family into adopting Chris!--my dad gave me a suspicious look. "You knew I wouldn't be able to say no." Which of course he didn't; Kaleb and he offered to do some violence in his honor.

Anyway, Chris lived with us for about a month, in my room. Which was okay because he was gay. He adored my family--who doesn't?--and we joked that I was like his brother and he was like my sister. One day we all went out, and I was ready to go in about five seconds. Some deodorant, some shoes, and my mom made me change my shirt. Chris took about an hour longer. He also kept much nicer products in our bathroom. My mom made a joke about Chris being the daughter they never had.

I am NOT very feminine a lot of the time. When I am, it's more aggressive. Sexy clothing, having the freedom to behave "badly" because I have tits, etc. Or squealing over cute things.

I also understand guys a lot better than most girls, because I am so much like one. Yet I'm not butch. I understand girls, too, I'm a big psychology buff and I'm empathic, so people are easy. My guy friends would come to me for insight on girls' minds, and vice versa.

Anyway, my main point is that one of the differences between guys and girls, on the whole, is their enjoyment of silence. Girls don't enjoy silence as much, or they don't allow it to happen, anyway. They are almost always talking. I'm the same way! When I'm around my gal pals, I'm a huge chatterbox. I get estrogen-high just like anybody else. But I swing both ways ;) I love just sitting in the car with my dad and chillin', talking occasionally, but mostly just relaxing. It's a very wonderful feeling.

Any female who doesn't understand what I'm saying, try it sometime. When you care about someone and are comfortable with them, silence is golden. Not just a relief or a reprieve, but an active form of recreation. Maybe it's because I'm a writer, or maybe I haven't talked to any girly-girls on this subject, but that's my two cents on the subject.

More on gender roles, endlessly, to come later; of this I have no doubt :)