While skimming the headlines over the weekend, I came across a fluffy little number on CNN.com titled Should your wife have guy-friends? Naturally, I was intrigued.
It begins by examining women who have guy friends who inevitably ended their marriages. The article continues by examining the belief that all opposite sex friendships focus around sex. The article interviews people who have had experience balancing a friend of the opposite sex and a husband or wife.
While there are obviously some horror stories, I think it is completely harmless to have close friends of the opposite sex. A friendship does not keep blossoming if it is purely based on a physical attraction.
As a 22-year-old woman, I have spent most of my life primarily with male companions. Although I did have my fair share of girl friends, I found myself enjoying the company of boys much more as I was growing up. They didn't talk badly about other people; they didn't care if my socks matched; nor did they care if I'd showered that day. All they cared about was playing outside and having a good time.
I always seemed to have the same attitude and sense of humor as the boys I hung out with in grade school. I wasn't the girl who shrieked at the sight of dirt and I definitely thought flatulence was one of the funniest things in the world - I still do, by the way. The boys loved that and treated me more as a sister-type rather than a dating-type.
My school district was very small and very tight-knit, so I've been friends with basically the same people since kindergarten. Sure, our relationships have matured over the years, but we still have the same friendships we've had since the beginning.
I had a boyfriend in high school that absolutely hated the fact that I hung out with so many guys. He got jealous all the time and tried to keep me away from them by being around and making things awkward - i.e. giving a boy the evil eye if he so much as nudged me or just establishing territory using the Public Display of Affection mechanism. I was young and immature, so I let it happen. But after we broke it off, I realized what jealousy can do to outside friendships.
Since the break-up, which was senior year of high school, I have avoided any kind of official relationship because I am too afraid that I'll pick some jealous psycho that won't let me continue to make fart jokes and dumb decisions with all of my guy friends, both at OU and at home. Having such a dominant number of male friends has made me the girl I am today and I don't plan on giving those types of friendships up as the years continue. I am a guy's girl and I love it.
So for future suitors: I have a ton of male friends. Deal with it.
Kadi McDonald is a senior magazine journalism major. Send her an email, a phone number or a date request at km134305@ohiou.edu.
4 Opinion
