So...

Reading Mr. MD's comment to my "Male Insight Required" post, I picked out a couple things:

1) Guys don't want to take responsibility for things they don't have to take responsibility for. Why recognize the elephant in the corner if it is not specifically pointed out. Is that correct?

I've had discussions where it was determined that a guy didn't want to have that talk regarding making a relationship "official." According to the guy, if he was there with the girl and he was acting as if they were in an exclusive relationship, they were together...why did he have to consent to an "official" thing? Of course, that puts the girl in a weird sorta lose-lose situation. The guy wants her to somehow know that they are together so as to avoid the whole "talk." Yet if the girl assumes they are in a relationship and months down the road the guy wants out, he is permitted the "well, we never talked about it, so therefore you can't claim that I was a dog" argument.

2) "[Man's] lifelong pursuit of simplified interactions and nurturing of emotional laziness has stunted our ability to read between the lines. Our willful ignorance breeds a vicious little cycle."

Hmmm...guys, guys, guys...don't be so hard on yourself... but, if you insist.....

3) We should accept that guys and girls communicate in different ways.

I agree. I, however, am still treading that fine line of what to expect. "Expecting" is a verb that, if done either too much or too little, could be dangerous. If we expect too much of everyone, we're constantly let down. If we don't expect enough, we are often cynical, and we wear ourselves out by feeling as if we need to then compensate.

And, of course, its a case by case thing. What I've "expected" of other men I've dated differed tremendously from one to the other. And this one has differed quite a bit more than the others.

Okay, guys, I'll take your advice. I'll try to communicate in guy-language more often. But... could I someday expect him to do the same...every once in a while, too?

If it happens, it happens...for not I'll do what I can do on my side. I'll let you know if its smooth sailing from now on. :)